What Is Executive Function, Really?

Bridging the gap between brain science and real life.

If you’re navigating ADHD, parenting a neurodivergent child, or leading a team where people think differently, you’ve probably heard the term executive function. But what does it actually mean?

Despite the corporate-sounding name, executive function isn’t about being a boss. It’s about how your brain manages tasks: starting them, finishing them, switching between them, and holding onto the details in between.

In short? Executive function is the set of skills that helps us get stuff done.

The Core Functions (According to Research)

Executive function includes a cluster of interrelated skills, like:

• Working memory (holding and manipulating info in your head)

• Inhibitory control (impulse regulation, pausing before reacting)

• Cognitive flexibility (shifting focus, adapting to change)

• Task initiation (starting even when it’s boring or hard)

• Sustained attention (focusing and refocusing)

• Planning and prioritization (seeing the big picture and knowing where to start)

• Emotional regulation (managing internal states while navigating external demands)

If this sounds like the scaffolding behind school, work, parenting, and life—it is.

Why It Shows Up Differently

Everyone uses executive function skills. But for neurodivergent folks (especially those with ADHD, autism, anxiety, or learning differences), these systems might be inconsistent, delayed, or wired differently.

And here’s the key:

Executive function challenges aren't about laziness. They’re often about friction between how a brain is wired and how a task is structured.

Someone might thrive with urgency, novelty, or external cues—and struggle with repetition, delay, or open-ended timelines. That’s not a character flaw. That’s a design mismatch.

Executive Function in Real Life

Executive function isn’t just about to-do lists. It affects how you:

• Transition between tasks or conversations

• Regulate your tone during conflict

• Manage time and remember deadlines

• Keep track of routines or schedules

• Follow through on intentions

When these systems aren’t supported, people may be seen as "inconsistent," "unreliable," or "overwhelmed." But what they really need is better scaffolding—not more willpower.

How Coaching Can Help

This is where executive function coaching comes in.

A good coach won’t give you one-size-fits-all tips. Instead, they’ll help you:

• Map how your executive function skills actually show up

• Experiment with systems that feel natural (not forced)

• Create structure around interest, urgency, and your unique rhythms

• Shift the narrative from shame to strategy

Works Cited

1. Barkley, Russell A. Executive Functions: What They Are, How They Work, and Why They Evolved. Guilford Press, 2012.

2. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Executive Function & Self-Regulation. Harvard University, developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

3. Diamond, Adele. “Executive Functions.” Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 64, 2013, pp. 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

4. Hallowell, Edward M., and John J. Ratey. ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction. Ballantine Books, 2021.

5. Thomas Brown, T. E. Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults with ADHD. Jossey-Bass, 2014.