Mike Welch OBE is a serial entrepreneur, and is now the President and CEO of Tirebuyer.com.
When I left school in England at 15 with no qualifications, it would have seemed fanciful that I would become an entrepreneur on several fronts, now I’m based in the U.S. Looking back, dyslexia made my time at school really difficult, and I couldn’t wait to leave.
Nowadays, thanks to great people and great organizations working to educate society and break down stereotypes, dyslexic schoolchildren are no longer seen as lost causes as some people may have thought of me at the time.
And yet, the idea that dyslexia makes it harder to succeed in school, business and life more generally prevails. But in fact, the opposite can be true—my dyslexic brain gave me a unique advantage to start up my businesses and to make them a success.
Changing The Status Quo
An entrepreneur is by definition someone who wants to change the status quo—a change-maker and a disruptor—and that is precisely what a dyslexic mind excels at. I’ve found that what makes us struggle in a standardized test is also what makes us thrive in new environments, take risks and innovate without restrictions.
Thinking visually and thinking creatively are traits that often come naturally to people with dyslexia who have learned to think around the rigid world of regular schooling—these are traits of a natural entrepreneur.
Dyslexia And Entrepreneurship
I am by no means alone: Research from 2003 found that 40% of entrepreneurs were likely to be dyslexic. Another survey from 2007 revealed that 35% of entrepreneurs involved with the study in the U.S. had dyslexia (which was higher than the prevalence in the general population, thought to be about 10% at the time).
I’ve noticed the line-up of business TV shows like Shark Tank and its U.K. equivalent Dragons’ Den certainly reflect this. Richard Branson, Charles Schwab, Barbara Corcoran, Jo Malone—the list of extremely successful business minds who battled with dyslexia is long and impressive.
What is important to understand about many of my fellow entrepreneurs, and to a certain extent about me too, is that we did not succeed in business in spite of our dyslexia but because of it. As Branson often notes, his dyslexia shaped Virgin from the start—he had to use his imagination, thinking big but keeping messages simple.
For me, starting out on my own selling tires out of my parent’s back room, I had to stay proactive and strong, reaching out to successful businessmen I had heard of—knowing they were not likely to respond—to ask for advice and mentorship. Pushing on with determination and surrounding myself with people who I wanted to be like—this is what became my real schooling.
In their book The Dyslexic Advantage, Brock and Fernette Eide write that “the percentage of dyslexic professionals in fields such as engineering, art and entrepreneurship is over twice the percentage of dyslexic individuals in the general population.” That does not surprise me.
Reframing Your Perspective
Having struggled to follow instructions in school, many of us had to learn creative ways to solve our problems, and to stay determined no matter how hard it was. Outside of restrictions of standard school systems, our ability to see the big picture, to think creatively, to develop our verbal skills and to surround ourselves with great people—that’s what helps our businesses flourish.
I think there is a wider lesson from dyslexia. Often what we think of as a disadvantage can be repurposed and become our own superpower. Sometimes it’s what differentiates us from the crowd.
I started on my business journey very young, setting up my first business at 16, and it is only now, 30 years and many startups, mergers and acquisitions later, that I feel like I understand how to take advantage of being dyslexic, and I have some advice to share for fellow entrepreneurs:
1. Own your strengths and weaknesses. Whether you know you have dyslexia or suspect so, it is worth getting assessed professionally and identifying what, if anything, in your dyslexia is affecting your performance, both negatively and positively. With that knowledge, you can make better-informed decisions for yourself and your business.
2. Create your own great working environment. Make changes in your organization that will help you and others to be more productive; for example, by establishing a system of short oral updates over long emails.
3. Consider professional advice. Find and use coaching and training opportunities that can help you minimize disruption and maximize potential, and offer others working in your businesses those opportunities too.
Thankfully there is more awareness of dyslexia than when I was growing up. I’ve noticed there is also more support to help those at school. When assessing their options, pursuing entrepreneurship opportunities may be just the ticket for young people bursting with energy, ideas and ambition.
The flexibility, creativity and resilience of anyone growing up with dyslexia can be a gift. Use it, and you never know how far you will go.
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