Is ADHD Right-Brained? A Coach's Insight into Creative, Systemic Thinkers

Rethinking the Brain: ADHD Beyond Deficit

Much of the public conversation around ADHD frames it as a deficit—of attention, of control, of function. But what if ADHD isn’t a deficiency, but a different cognitive style? After coaching over 600 ADHD entrepreneurs, I've come to believe many are not broken or disordered—they're wired differently. The old left-brain/right-brain theory may not be entirely accurate, but it still offers a helpful lens to understand how many ADHDers experience the world.

This article draws heavily on the work of Dr. Iain McGilchrist, author of The Master and His Emissary, whose research into hemispheric differences offers profound insight into ADHD cognition. McGilchrist suggests that the right hemisphere—the “master”—is holistic, context-sensitive, and meaning-focused. These are not just brain curiosities; they map closely to the lived experience of people with ADHD.

The Visual, Intuitive, and Systemic Thinker

Traditional education and workplace systems often reward left-brain strengths: order, verbal precision, detail-tracking, linear processing. ADHDers often struggle in these environments—not because they can't think, but because they think differently.

ADHDers are frequently:

• Visually and spatially oriented
• Emotionally perceptive
• Intuitive and holistic in their understanding
• Able to "see the whole system" at once, not the parts sequentially

This matches what pop neuroscience calls "right-brained" processing. While the brain isn’t split so cleanly, McGilchrist and others point to real lateralized functional differences. For example, neuroimaging suggests ADHD involves altered activity in networks associated with the right hemisphere, such as the default mode and salience networks, which relate to scanning, imagination, and self-awareness.

There is no conclusive research to confirm this model, but it could theoretically relate to hemispheric differences in network dominance.

Mapping McGilchrist’s Right Hemisphere Traits to ADHD

According to McGilchrist, the right hemisphere is:

• Wide-focused and environmental — ADHDers often notice everything. Their distractibility is actually sensitivity to the context and surroundings.
• Holistic and intuitive — Many ADHDers make decisions based on gut feelings or patterns they “see” but can’t yet explain.
• Flexible and generous — ADHDers are often open to possibility, able to pivot quickly, and can be generous in emotional insight.
• Emotionally attuned — ADHDers tend to be highly empathetic and affected by tone, facial expressions, and interpersonal tension.
• Metaphor- and meaning-focused — In coaching, I notice ADHD clients often speak in metaphors or think in symbols and analogies. This helps them process complex systems.
• Temporal as a continuum — Many struggle with punctuality or deadlines, but experience time more fluidly—linked to their deep absorption in the moment.
• Drawn to music, poetry, and spirituality — Many ADHDers resonate with rhythm, lyricism, and abstract philosophical or moral themes. These areas activate the right hemisphere and bring peace or deep interest.

"The ADHD brain may simply be more rooted in the right hemisphere—a system attuned to novelty, connection, and pattern more than precision, repetition, or control."

Pattern Scanning, Not Attention Deficit

In my coaching sessions, clients often report they notice everything. They are highly sensitive to context, to other people's emotional states, to subtle changes in environment. What looks like distraction may in fact be a kind of rapid pattern recognition, a scanning for novelty and meaning.

"We’re not inattentive. We’re scanning for patterns."

This kind of cognition may have been incredibly adaptive in earlier human environments. In a world of constant change, being first to notice what matters is a survival skill.

Quick Right Brain Quiz

Are you right-brained, answer my quick "Are you ADHD Right Brained" 5 question quiz below:

Coaching Implications: Lean Into Strengths

Trying to force ADHDers to conform to left-brain systems can be exhausting and ineffective. Instead, in coaching I focus on strategies that work with the client's cognitive strengths:

• Use visual planning tools (mind maps, kanban boards)
• Encourage spatial organization over rigid linearity
• Frame goals in big-picture, purpose-driven ways
• Support emotional intuition as a leadership asset
• Honour metaphorical, poetic, and moral modes of processing—not just logical analysis

Rather than fix a non-problem, we reframe the ADHD mind as a systemic, intuitive processor.

Final Thoughts: A Cognitive Minority

Most people are left-brain dominant. If you're in the cognitive minority, the world won't be designed for you—but that doesn't mean you're broken. Understanding your ADHD as a possibly more right-brained style of thinking can unlock self-acceptance, creativity, and confidence.

ADHD is not a disorder of attention. It's a difference in cognition.

Disclaimer: The "right-brain" model is a speculative but experience-informed framework. While not supported by conclusive research, it reflects common patterns observed in thousands of coaching hours. For more on hemispheric theory, see Dr. Iain McGilchrist’s work: iainmcgilchrist.com.

Read more about my ADHD philosophy