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Cognitive diversity becomes increasingly important when faced with a transformational shift in the way in which our world operates, writes Travis Schultz.
While demographic diversity is undoubtedly beneficial in a team environment, cognitive diversity is equally valuable in developing teams that are capable of modernising, transforming, and innovating an organisation’s products, systems, and strategies. Cognitive diversity refers to the different ways that people think, process information, make decisions, and so on. As generative AI forces companies and firms to adapt to change at a pace never seen before, I would argue that having cognitive diversity in your teams has never been more important.
One important contributor to cognitive diversity is neurodiversity. Neurodivergent individuals often approach problems, information, and decision making differently from their neurotypical peers, offering perspectives that can strengthen innovation and challenge conventional thinking. According to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, it is estimated that in Australia, some 15–20 per cent of the general population is neurodivergent, which refers more specifically to how the brain is wired. The spectrum includes autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. While the service estimates that autism is only formally diagnosed in around 1.1–2.5 per cent of the population, ADHD is thought to affect about 6–10 per cent of children and about 4 per cent of adults under 45. Dyslexia affects about 10 per cent of the population. Where once neurodiversity may have been seen as a “disability”, the ability to think differently becomes an asset when it is necessary to challenge the status quo.
Cognitive diversity becomes increasingly important when faced with a transformational shift in the way in which our world operates. And there is little doubt that we are now at such a juncture!
Once upon a time, we tried to put together teams that included “big-picture thinkers”, “futuristic dreamers”, “risk takers”, “strategists”, and “managers” so as to complete the skills matrix required. And that approach is important, but so too is the way our decision-makers adapt, brainstorm, and problem solve. Being neurodiverse can be viewed as a superpower, with many able to bypass standard logic, to be unique and creative, and perhaps, best of all, the ability to hyperfocus! In a changing and challenging world, these attributes offer a very real advantage over their neurotypical peers. Being able to maintain an intense, prolonged focus on an issue or idea permits a depth of engagement that can be difficult and also assists in mastery of technical skills and analysis of technical data. Who wouldn’t want some of those on your future-focussed development team?
I recently had the opportunity to have coffee with an entrepreneur who made me realise just how important neurodiversity in teams is going to be in the future. The co-founder of VXT, Luke Campbell, told me: “If you want to build something different, then you need diversity of thinking.” Campbell co-founded VXT with Lucy Turner in 2018 as the communications platform for law firms. It’s grown now to the point that it has 10,000 users across 10 countries and saw Campbell win the Entrepreneurship and Leadership Award at the Robert Walters New Zealand Leadership Awards in 2025. The platform is a game changer – and I can vouch for that as, at TSP, we use it across all of our offices!
Luke has a team of 29, and he estimates that about 40 per cent would identify as being neurodivergent. That suggests a cohort of neurodivergence well above the statistical average! In an industry where innovation and problem solving is essential to keep ahead of the competition and exceed the needs of your customers, he insists that thinking differently about problems is key.
So, it got me thinking: perhaps it’s time that our corporate boards, partnerships, and leadership teams add to their skills matrix and consciously seek out neurodiverse voices as we tackle the challenges we face in 2026 and beyond?
Travis Schultz is the managing partner of Travis Schultz & Partners.
