Is it odd for an Aspie to take on Leadership Roles?

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I was recently selected to be a juror in a very minor criminal case (the trial lasted < 3 days and had only a handful of witnesses).

After trial each day, I would obsess about the day?s proceedings. I would write a detailed summary of what had happened in my journal. I became a bit stressed about whether I had enough information to make a decision. I even organized the information into a decision tree, so I could more easily identify the salient pieces of evidence.

The evening before deliberation, I had become somewhat comfortable with all the details and felt that I understood the salient points sufficiently enough to discuss the case. For some odd reason, I got into my mind that I wanted to be the jury foreman. I am not exactly certain why. I suppose I thought it would be an interesting experience. More importantly, I have done similar things in the past at work (i.e., I have past experience facilitating meetings with teams of engineers) and figured that I could facilitate the discussion just as well as most.

So, upon entering the jury room, I asked whether anyone wanted to be foreman. No one said yes. Then, someone asked if I wanted to be it. I agreed to do it, unless someone else wanted to.

After being selected, I established a process for discussing the trial proceedings and introduced some practices that I learned at work, such as Roman Hand Voting.

It was a bit odd. Prior to entering the jury room, I hadn?t said more than one or two words to the other jurors. I didn?t know any of their names. I had kept to myself during the duration of the trial.

During the deliberations, I noticed that I was a little bit, but not a lot nervous. I am not certain if this was because the people in the room were complete strangers. As we started, I taped some of the exhibits to the chalk board. Then, I took some of the spare tape and played with it (by rolling it into a ball), while the other jurors spoke. This helped calm my nerves.

As usual, I did not make eye contact with anyone (I have this tendency to look other?s in the mouth). Overall, it was pretty easy to facilitate the discussion. I just made certain that people didn?t ?talk over? others and that everyone had a chance to verbalize their thoughts.

Overall, I thought the deliberations went quite well. We reached a consensus relatively quickly (maybe not as fast as some would have liked, but fast enough).

Anyhow, now to my somewhat odd question. Is it odd/unusual for Aspies to take on such roles?

Not out of the question.

Someone sure of themselves (go-go special interest), and that can lecture--show they know what they're talking about, can mean others will follow them, even if they're socially poor.

Not at all it all depends on the Individual

Aspies can make great team leaders. The two main prerequisites:

1. Sufficient self confidence in relation to the objectives of the team

If the team leader is not capable of following the technical deliberations within the team it becomes difficult to fulfil the role of facilitator. The team leader does not need to be an expert in all domains that are relevant to the team, but should ideally be an expert in at least one of the relevant domains.

2. Sufficient life experience to recognise the value of multiple different perspectives

Whilst aspies may have to learn how to hand the word to a particular team member with minimum friction in the flow of discussion, they are ideally positioned to listen with an open mind, and to challenge entrenched ideas that may prevent progress from being made.

A natural way to gain practice as a team leader is in an area closely related to a special interest. By the sounds of it you've had plenty of that experience in your work environment.

Due to my special interest in simplifying complex systems, I often get asked to take up a team leadership role. Since I have a strong aversion to any form of hierarchy, I focus on identifying the talents and the passions of the team members, and give them complete freedom in making decisions in relation to their domain of expertise, and I only step in to offer my thoughts if a team member asks for assistance. Additionally I focus on modularising the work that needs to be done, facilitate discussions around solution design trade offs, and express strong views in case a team member disrespects the module boundaries agreed by the team.

I would describe the role of a team leader as being a combination of a logistical catalyst and a domain expert.

From my experience I would say that whilst aspies can be excellent team leaders, they will run into difficulties when given purely administrative responsibilities in a "management hierarchy". I neither like to be "managed" by someone without any domain expertise, nor do I like to "manage" managers who don't have any domain expertise except expertise in establishing empires and in climbing social hierarchies.

My experience in this context is in line with Temple Grandin's observation that aspies need to sell their work/expertise rather than their [untypical] personality. Temple Grandin estimates that up to 50% of the people working in the software industry have strong autistic traits. Whilst the exact percentage is debatable, I think it is certainly true that in this industry it is possible to build very aspie friendly teams and to make use of aspie friendly work practices. Some of the most productive and dependable software developers I have met only utter a few words per day.

Leadership in the sense of hierarchical management is not for me. In fact in my experience the entire concept of management is way past its best used by date. Human history is littered with the ruins of failed empires.

Not strange at all. You can be an aspie and a leader. It depends on, who you are.

I think Aspies can have great leadership qualities.

Even if we are a bit aloof, our tendency to be logical and not get overemotional can put the group at ease. People will know we are not playing favorites and can trust our attention to detail.

Actually, I think it is probably better for an Aspie to be in charge of a group than participating "in" the group.

I am making generalizations here - of course, every person is different.

I don't think it is unusual for us to TRY to lead. I do think it is probably unusual for us to SUCCEED at it.

If things went as well as they seem to have done, you've earned a moment of self-congratulation. Good planning, good organization, good people skills, good work.

I believe, that nerdygirl is right. Many a leader in the army has probably been AS. Many company leaders too, as it takes the ability to separate strategy and emotions. Not that NT´s can´t do that...it is not that black & white. Aspies can also exell in caring roles.
I suppose, that the traits: ability to be absolutely logical and the obsessiveness, paired with a caring trait can make fantastic leader material, - as long as there are no noticable comorbids.

I'm an engineering team lead and have been for quite a few years now - so, ya I think it can be done.

Bill Gates seems to be able to lead and he sure looks and acts aspie from what I see.

How do you look and act aspie?
I think Bill Gates acts very normal.

Bill comes across very monotone, almost no facial expression, very serious and I don't know if he ever smiles and he tends to rock back and forth in public from time-to-time.

Maybe he's aspie - maybe not.

Thanks everyone, for your replies. Much appreciated.

One more question. I am an INTJ (on Meyers-Briggs). I read somewhere that INTJs are "capable but not eager leaders, stepping forward only when it becomes obvious to them that they are the best for the job". Which sort sums up my feelings on these things. To take charge, if no one else is willing to do so.

Any thoughts on whether this is common for Aspies as well?

It really comes down to one's leadership style. My Meyers-Briggs type is INTF and I enjoy leadership roles. I tend to be the coaching/supportive Good Guy Boss type since my AS gives me a strong drive to be ethical.

If you can lead your own life successfully then you can be a leader of others.

I'm INTJ as well.

I'm an INTP and do well in leadership roles. I will follow others, but I do best either in work where I am left alone to do it with minimum supervision or in leadership. I do not like group work at all.

If I am in a leadership role, however, I do much better if I have someone who can assist me, sort of as a secretary. Someone who can handle some of the administrative tasks that I will fail at with my executive functioning problems. I am good at seeing the big picture all at once, plotting a course, organizing people, organizing ideas, and organizing presentations and other abstract work. I need someone who can help me with the concrete work - filing papers, making phone calls, reminding me of appointments, etc.

I am not in a situation where I am leading such a big group that I can't manage without a secretary/personal assistant, but these concrete tasks do suffer a little. The things I am good at make up for it, though.