Today on the show, we're going to explore what real, true, inclusive excellence looks like

in practice with Dr. Kavon Stassen. He's a MacArthur Genius Fellow. He is the Stevenson

Endowed Professor of Physics and astronomy and professor of computer

science and management at Vanderbilt University, and he's also the director of Vanderbilt's

Frist Center for Autism and Innovation.

Dr. Stassen leads cutting-edge astrophysics teams, and at the same time builds workplaces where neurodivergent talent

can really thrive. In his lab, what does that mean? It means re-engineering how people

meet and communicate. It means clear agendas and precise language and norms that keep everyone

focused on the work and less on the politics and the innuendo and the side chatter

that can exclude a lot of us.

Long before the pandemic, he normalized virtual participation

so team members could manage their sensory environment

and contribute at their best.

At the first center, he and his colleagues are really proving a strength-based approach,

assessing capabilities, matching roles for fit, training managers,

and partnering with employers to what they call the Nashville model

can unlock innovation, business impact, and help

neurodivergent people find their genius. I'm Maura Erin Smealy, and this is the anxious

achiever, the show that looks at the intersection of mental health and work and leadership,

and asks, how can we do it all better? Today, Dr. Stassen and I talk about

visual thinking and the power of human imagination and scientific discovery, a welcome shift

from our constant discussion right now about AI. And Dr. Stassen really offers a mindset shift for managers. What if you treated

...