Your ADHD Isn’t the Problem. Your Coaching Hasn’t Caught Up Yet.
I’m Cherie Silas – an MCC-credentialed executive coach who navigates ADHD myself. I work with senior leaders who are tired of generic advice that wasn’t designed for how they think.
Sound Familiar?
I hear variations of these from nearly every executive I work with. If you recognize yourself in even two or three, you’re in the right place.
- Cherie Silas, MCC
“I have brilliant ideas but can’t execute them consistently.”
Working memory and follow-through challenges – the gap between vision and completion.
How the coaching works“I overcommit, then burn out trying to deliver.”
Difficulty setting boundaries and managing energy – saying yes feels easier than saying no.
A pause before each new yes“Meetings drain me, and I forget half of what was discussed.”
Meeting fatigue and retention challenges – information slips through the cracks.
What changed for two leaders“I know I need to delegate but can’t let go of control.”
Delegation anxiety and perfectionism – if it has to be right, it has to be you.
What changed for two leaders“Feedback hits differently for me – even when it’s constructive.”
Rejection sensitivity – emotional responses that feel disproportionate to the situation.
Coaching or therapy?“I’m successful by any measure, but I feel like I’m barely holding it together.”
The hidden struggle – high performance on the outside, constant effort on the inside.
Your ADHD as a leadership asset
If you’re nodding at more than one of these, you’re not alone – and you’re not broken. These are patterns I know well, and they respond to the right kind of coaching.
One-to-One ADHD Executive Coaching With Cherie Silas, MCC
For directors, executives and founders with ADHD who are already succeeding and want the way they work to cost them less.
Who It’s For
Directors, executives, founders and business owners
Your Coach
Cherie Silas, ICF Master Certified Coach, who has ADHD herself
Length
6–12 months, bi-weekly 60-minute sessions
Format
Virtual or in-person
Assessments
Optional: ProfileXT, Genos EQ, 360° feedback
Every engagement starts with a consultation. If coaching is the right fit, you receive a written proposal with the scope and the fee before anything begins.
Not sure yet where coaching would help most? The free Systems Audit takes about eight minutes and shows which of your six core systems to repair first.
Take the Free Systems Audit →What ADHD Executive Coaching Actually Looks Like
Discovery Conversation Free
We talk about what’s happening, what you’ve tried, and whether coaching is the right fit. No pitch. No pressure. If it’s not right, I’ll tell you.
Assessment & Baseline
If you want them, we run assessments – ProfileXT, Genos EQ, 360-degree feedback – to establish where you are, not where we assume you are. This becomes the benchmark we measure against.
Structured Coaching Sessions
Sessions are designed for ADHD brains: strategies you can implement the same week – not vague homework.
Progress Checkpoints
Every 4 months we review progress against your baseline. You see the data. We adjust the plan based on what’s working and what isn’t. This is how we achieve goals that stick.
Every engagement follows our ASPIRE® framework, adapted for how neurodivergent leaders actually process and develop:
- Assess
- Strategize
- Plan
- Inspire
- Reflect
- Evolve
What this means for you: a free first conversation, a baseline if you want one, and a review against it every four months.
Not ready for a coach yet
ADHD Executive Systems Plan
$97 one time, in your inbox within the hour
- The deeper audit. The Systems Audit’s six domains, about eight questions each.
- Your real week. The three recurring misses that cost you most, and what you already tried.
- The plan. A private PDF: which systems fail and why, and the fixes in order.
- The 90 days. Short check-ins unlock the next fix; day 90 shows before and after.
Your receipt says “Executive Systems Plan”. Nothing goes to your employer.
Or start free: Systems Audit, 8 minutes
Your ADHD Is a Leadership Asset – When You Know How to Work With It
Most coaching and management advice was designed for neurotypical brains. It assumes linear focus, consistent energy, and predictable workflows.
If that’s not how your brain works, the advice doesn’t fail because you’re failing – it fails because it wasn’t built for you. The goal is to build systems that channel it intentionally, so your strengths show up consistently instead of in bursts.
| What it looks like | What it becomes |
|---|---|
| Hyperfocus | Deep strategic thinking |
| Rapid ideation | Innovation & problem-solving |
| Crisis performance | Calm under pressure |
| Pattern recognition | Seeing connections others miss |
| Energy surges | High-impact sprints when channeled |
I’ve watched executives with ADHD outperform their neurotypical peers in crisis situations, creative problem-solving, and strategic vision – then struggle with the routine execution that makes those wins sustainable. The traits that drive your best work are the same ones that create your biggest frustrations.
What you need isn’t someone who treats your ADHD as a diagnosis to manage. You need a coach who understands executive function from the inside – and knows how to build strategies that work with your brain, not against it.
Read more: Executive Function Strategies for ADHD LeadersWhat Changes When the Coaching Fits
The CFO Who Couldn’t Finish What She Started
Challenge
Senior finance executive, 8 years in role. Brilliant strategic thinker but chronic project abandonment – 12 active initiatives, none past 60% completion. Board starting to question her execution capability.
What We Worked On
Working memory systems for tracking priorities. A delegation framework that played to her team’s strengths. Energy management strategies to prevent the “all-in then crash” cycle.
Project completion rate improved from 40% to 85% within 9 months. Board feedback shifted from “great ideas, poor follow-through” to “the most reliable executive in our C-suite.”
12-month engagement
The Tech VP Who Couldn’t Stop Working
Challenge
VP of Engineering at a growth-stage company. Averaging 70-hour weeks. Couldn’t delegate without micromanaging. Team turnover at 35% annually. Privately diagnosed with ADHD at 42 – hadn’t told anyone at work.
What We Worked On
Disclosure decision framework. Delegation confidence building with graduated handoffs. Meeting structure redesign to play to ADHD strengths – shorter, standing, agenda-driven.
Work hours dropped to 50/week. Team turnover fell to 12%. Disclosed ADHD to his COO on his own terms – received support, not judgment. Promoted to SVP 14 months into coaching.
18-month engagement
Case studies are composite examples based on typical client outcomes.
Research behind these numbers
What does the research say about coaching and ADHD?
in executive functioning after coaching
coaching engagements
ADHD traits
Research data from ICF Global Coaching Study, Manchester Inc., and peer-reviewed ADHD coaching literature.
Credentialed Coaching. Lived Understanding.
Cherie Silas, MCC
Founder & Lead ADHD Executive Coach
I spent 15 years as an executive – developer to director to CEO. I also have ADHD. That combination means I don’t just understand your challenges theoretically – I’ve built the systems I’m going to help you build, because I needed them myself.
More about Cherie
When I became the first agile coach to earn MCC – the highest credential from the International Coaching Federation, held by fewer than 5% of coaches worldwide – I brought that same structured, evidence-based approach to how neurodivergent leaders actually think and work.
A Team, Not a Solo Practice
Cherie leads our ADHD coaching practice, backed by a team of 9 ICF-credentialed coaches across executive, leadership, and team coaching. We match you with the coach whose experience aligns with your industry and challenges.
Meet the full teamStructured Assessment Tools
We use ProfileXT, Genos EQ, 360-degree feedback, and LEAD NOW! – adapted for neurodivergent leaders. These aren’t generic personality tests. They create baseline data we use to measure real progress.
Learn about our ASPIRE® frameworkWhat this means for you: your coach has ADHD, an ICF MCC and 15 years as an executive.
How ADHD Executive Coaching Differs From General Coaching and Therapy
ADHD Executive Coaching vs. General Executive Coaching
| Question | ADHD executive coaching | General executive coaching | Therapy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built around | How your attention and energy actually run | Linear planning, consistent energy, predictable attention | Symptoms and mental health conditions |
| Looks | Forward, at how you lead at work | Forward, at leadership results | Back, at past experiences |
| Strategies | Energy-based; one clear focus per session | Time-based plans and habits | Clinical treatment |
| Diagnosis | Not needed; we don’t diagnose or treat ADHD | Not part of the work | Part of the work |
Why does general executive coaching miss for ADHD leaders?
General executive coaching assumes neurotypical executive functioning – linear planning, consistent energy, predictable attention. For leaders with ADHD, that assumption creates a mismatch. Strategies that work for neurotypical executives often fail or backfire for neurodivergent ones.
ADHD executive coaching adapts the approach: each session has one clear focus and ends with next steps you choose and write down before the session closes, strategies are energy-based rather than time-based (because willpower fluctuates), and progress is measured against baselines that account for ADHD patterns. The goals are the same – better leadership, stronger results – but the path gets there differently.
Learn about our Executive Coaching for LeadersADHD Executive Coaching vs. Therapy
When is coaching the right call, and when is therapy?
Coaching and therapy serve different purposes. Therapy is clinically focused – it processes past experiences, manages symptoms, and addresses mental health conditions. Coaching is forward-looking and performance-focused – it develops skills, builds habits, and achieves specific professional goals.
We are not therapists and we don’t diagnose or treat ADHD. We work with leaders who already know how their brain works (or suspect it) and want to develop strategies for executive-level performance. Many of our clients work with both a therapist and a coach – they complement each other.
What this means for you: ADHD executive coaching works forward on how you lead, and it can run alongside therapy.
Is ADHD Executive Coaching Right for You?
Signs You Might Benefit from ADHD Executive Coaching
You don’t need a diagnosis to benefit from coaching that accounts for neurodivergent thinking. Consider it if you experience:
- Chronic overwhelm despite competence
- Difficulty with follow-through on projects you care about
- Meeting fatigue and retention challenges
- Delegation anxiety or perfectionism
- Sensitivity to feedback
- Inconsistent energy patterns that don’t match traditional productivity advice
These patterns are common among high-achieving adults with ADHD. They don’t mean you’re failing – they mean your brain works differently, and your support system should reflect that.
Read more: ADHD Workplace Myths & RealityThis is for you if
- You are already succeeding and want the work to cost you less.
- You know how your brain works, or suspect it.
- You can meet every two weeks for six to twelve months.
- You want coaching, not treatment.
This is not for you if
- You are looking for a diagnosis or medication.
- You want to process past experiences; a therapist is the right first call.
- You want someone to do the work for you.
Choosing an ADHD Executive Coach
If you’re evaluating coaching for the first time – or comparing your options – here’s what matters.
Quick answer
Choosing an ADHD executive coach comes down to three things: a senior ICF credential (PCC or MCC), real experience coaching leaders with ADHD, and a structured method with named assessments instead of generic productivity advice.
At Tandem, engagements are led by MCC- and PCC-credentialed coaches, use tools like ProfileXT and Genos EQ adapted for neurodivergent leaders, and run 6–12 months. If you’re still mapping the basics, our hub guide covers what ADHD executive coaching is and how it works.
What to Look for in an ADHD Executive Coach
Not every executive coach is equipped for ADHD. When you’re comparing coaches, look past the marketing and check three things:
- The credential: a PCC or MCC from the International Coaching Federation signals thousands of assessed coaching hours.
- Direct experience with ADHD and neurodivergent leaders.
- A defined method: assessments, session structure, and accountability systems built for how your brain works, not bolted on afterward.
Every Tandem engagement is led by a credentialed coach experienced with ADHD leaders, and several of our coaches navigate ADHD themselves. That combination – credential plus lived experience – is rare, and it’s what lets us adapt the work instead of handing you neurotypical advice.
ADHD Coaching for Executives in Dallas, Texas
Can we meet in person in Dallas, or only online?
Tandem Coaching is based in Dallas, TX. We offer both in-person and virtual ADHD executive coaching sessions, serving leaders across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, throughout Texas, and nationwide. Our virtual coaching platform provides the same structured experience as in-person sessions – with the flexibility that works best for busy executives.
We match local executives looking for an ADHD coach in Dallas, and remote leaders looking for a specialist, with the right coach for their situation.
What this means for you: check the credential, the ADHD experience and the method before you choose a coach.
ADHD Coaching for Founders and Owners
When you run the company, nobody above you sets the structure. The business moves at the speed of your attention: the ideas, the sales conversations, the problems only you know how to fix.
That is often how the company got built. As it grows, the same way of working can start to set the ceiling on what the business can do.
| What it looks like now | Where it often goes |
|---|---|
| Every idea becomes a project | A short list your team can finish |
| Decisions wait for you | Decisions your team can make without you |
| Sales and delivery both run through you | Routine work handed to people and systems |
| Your calendar belongs to everyone | Protected hours for your hardest thinking |
| Yes comes before the capacity check | A pause before each new commitment |
Working with an ADHD business coach starts from what you already do well. From there, we:
- Find the parts of the business only you can do.
- Design your week around the hours when your focus is actually there.
- Decide which routine work moves to the people and systems that are good at routine.
Cherie has done this work for herself: she has ADHD and leads Tandem, a woman-owned coaching firm. Her 15 years in leadership ran from developer to CEO. The engagement is the same one-to-one coaching described above, shaped around the decisions an owner carries.
What Leaders Ask About ADHD Executive Coaching Before They Start
How is ADHD executive coaching different from regular executive coaching?
ADHD executive coaching accounts for how your brain processes information, manages time, and sustains attention. Generic coaching assumes neurotypical executive function. We adapt how each session runs (one clear focus, and next steps you choose and write down before the session ends), strategy design (energy-based planning vs. time-based planning), and assessment interpretation for neurodivergent patterns.
The coaching process and goals are the same – better leadership, stronger teams, measurable professional success – but the approach is personalized for how you actually think and work.
Do I need an ADHD diagnosis to work with you?
No. Many adults with ADHD self-identify without a formal diagnosis. If you recognize the patterns described on this page, coaching can help whether or not you have paperwork. We are coaches, not clinicians – we work with how you think and lead, not with diagnostic labels.
Will my employer know I’m getting ADHD coaching?
Only if you choose to tell them. Our coaching engagements are confidential. Many of our clients are sponsored by their organization for “executive coaching” without specifying the ADHD focus. Others engage privately. We support whatever level of disclosure you’re comfortable with.
Read more: Disclosure & Accommodation Guide for ADHD Executives
What does a typical coaching session look like?
60 minutes, bi-weekly, virtual or in-person. We review progress on action items, work through a current challenge, and set concrete strategies for the next two weeks. Sessions are designed for ADHD brains: structured but flexible, concrete but not rigid.
How long does the coaching engagement last?
Most engagements run 6 to 12 months. That’s enough time for behavior change: turning awareness into new habits that hold under pressure. Some executives renew for a second engagement once the first one ends.
How much does ADHD executive coaching cost?
It depends on the length of the engagement, how often we meet, and which assessments you want. We don’t publish a price list. After a free consultation, you receive a written proposal with the scope and the fee, so you know the full cost before you commit.
What qualifications do your ADHD coaches have?
Our ADHD coaching practice is led by Cherie Silas, MCC – the highest credential from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), held by fewer than 5% of coaches worldwide. Cherie has 5,000+ hours of coaching experience and navigates ADHD herself. Our team includes 9 ICF-credentialed coaches across executive, leadership, and team coaching.
Can coaching help with ADHD and leadership at the same time?
Yes – in fact, they’re inseparable. ADHD shapes how you lead: how you make decisions, manage time, run meetings, delegate, communicate, and manage energy. We don’t coach ADHD and leadership as separate tracks. We coach you as a leader whose brain works differently, and we build skills and strategies that leverage both.
Other free starting points
Prefer to start with your strengths? The free Leadership Profile takes about five minutes. If energy is the bigger question, try the Energy-Focus Profile.
Take the Free Leadership Profile →Start an Engagement With Cherie
If you’re a director, executive or founder with ADHD and you’re ready to start coaching, book a 30-minute consultation with Cherie Silas.
No sales pitch – just an honest conversation about what you’re dealing with and how an engagement would run. If coaching fits, you receive a written proposal with the scope and the fee. Everything we discuss stays between us.
Not ready for that yet? Start with the free Systems Audit, or explore our ADHD coaching articles – 23 guides written for executives navigating ADHD in leadership roles.
All coaching engagements are confidential. We never disclose to employers, HR, or anyone else without your explicit consent.