The study mentioned in this article in Bloomberg Business Week, is apparently given some mention and explanation in the new HBO documentary, “Journey Into Dyslexia.”.
From the Cass Business School in London, the study draws a link between having dyslexia and business success. I met the author of the study a couple of years ago at a conference. To be fair, she was primarily just reporting what they’d found; namely that upwards of 35% of the successful serial entrepreneurs surveyed in the US identified themselves as dyslexic.
It’s a relatively small sample that responded. From what she said, a few thousand business leaders were queried but only between one and two hundred responded.
There are those that are quite certain that the “dyslexic brain” is embedded by nature with certain attributes that can lead to success in certain areas, visual spatial and 3-D thinking for example. It’s intriguing though unproven. Just as intriguing is some of the other commentary by other folks who are successful and dyslexic. They speak of learning to work extra hard, and discovering the importance of focusing on only the most important tasks in a project (if you’re behind in your schoolwork and basic tasks take longer, this is a necessary skill to learn), as in, “Which assignments this week are the most important to complete?”
Learning to delegate is another.
Seeing the big picture and not getting lost in the details.
All of these may get more attention and thus get more developed by students who are dyslexic.
Many of the same attributes can lead to success in business or any field.
Then again, if you get too buried and marginalized and unsupported, success can become elusive.
What’s the percentage of inmates with learning disabilities?
Can’t wait to see the documentary.