Learning disabilities and entrepreneurs
When we think of entrepreneurs and business leaders we typically think about people who are savvy and smart. They have everything going for them and probably have never faced any type of adversity, especially not brain disorders.
Well, think again.
I’ve interviewed many CEOs over the years for big and small firms and there were quite a few that had stories to tell about learning disabilities that plagued them since youth.
So, I wasn’t surprised when a study came across my desk about how 35 percent of U.S. entrepreneurs have dyslexia.
Julie Logan, professor of entrepreneurship at
London’s Cass Business School, conducted the study and she looked at entrepreneurs in both the U.S. and the UK.
UK entrepreneurs, the research found, “are five times more likely to suffer from dyslexia than the average UK citizen – 4% of the average population are dyslexic. In the U.S., dyslexia is grouped with ‘learning disabled,’ and 15% of the population suffer from this.”
She also found that key traits that dyslexics are more likely to possess than their non-dyslexic counterparts.
1. Own more than one business
2. Run their businesses for a shorter time (although grow them more quickly)
3. Start their businesses right after school
4. Excel in oral communications, problem solving, delegation, and spatial awareness
5. Be influenced by a mentor (versus non-dyslexics, who are more influenced by educational experiences)
6. Manage more staff (25 as mean, versus 17 for non-dyslexics) because of increased ability to delegate, an example of a coping strategy employed to overcome difficulties
I definitely see something to her findings. When I was in college I tutored students that were dyslexics and more often than not they were highly intelligent and highly motivated. But many also wanted things done on their own terms. That’s probably one of the key definitions of an entrepreneur.
As for other learning disabilities, two CEOs I interviewed for my book,
“From the Sandbox to the Corner Office,” revealed their struggles.
The CEO of
TD Ameritrade Joe Moglia has been stuttering since he was a young boy and still struggles with the impediment until this day. “Even now I get butterflies in my stomach before I have to give a speech,” he told me.
He believes his battle with stuttering made him a better leader: “I’ve become much more empathetic to other people’s limitations and fears.”
Another leader I interviewed who has attention deficit disorder was Pete Kight, CEO of
Checkfree. He realized early on that he had to start his own business. He just couldn’t imagine having a regular 9-to-5 jobs because of his patience issues.
“I would have had a great deal of difficulty if I had gotten into a staff job. I knew that. That’s why I started a company. I was fearful to the point of being paranoid that I would end up working in a big company,” he told me.
“People talk about the spirit of entrepreneurship. It doesn’t make sense to me,” he explained. For him, the decision to go out on his own was based on survival.
The key for many of these CEOs was they rose above their disabilities. But I have come to realize that while you rise above it, this type of challenge can’t help but define you.
“At the end of the day,” Kight added, “I think I was driven to achieve because of it.”
