“I was dyslexic, I had no understanding of schoolwork whatsoever. I certainly would have failed IQ tests. And it was one of the reasons I left school when I was 15 years old. And if I – if I’m not interested in something, I don’t grasp it.” Richard Branson
Richard Branson is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. Many ask him about his secrets to success, but of all he shared, his most interesting secret is dyslexia. Yes, Sir Richard considers dyslexia as his greatest strength.
Quitting school at 15, Sir Richard embarks on his entrepreneurial journey. Since then, he has built multi-billion dollar companies in 8 countries.
In this interview video, Mr. Branson talks about living with dyslexia and how it impacts his business life – and how he overcame the challenges.
Sir Richard mentioned that he didn’t know the difference between net and gross, until one of his Directors explains him in a simplistic manner. Mr. Branson said that such challenges not holding him back; instead of mulling on how to cover his dyslexia, he makes it into his greatest business asset.
How Sir Richard does it? He focuses on creating products that impact people’s life, generate revenue from the sales and let his finance staffs to count the money for him.
So, yes – as Sir Richard himself said – you can build a successful company without even knowing the difference between net and gross income.
Here’s a good coverage on The Washington Post about the advantages of dyslexia in Mr. Branson entrepreneurial career:
So, how being dyslexic is a strength? Here’s one good example from the SoundCloud above:
“When we launched a new company, I reviewed the ads and marketing materials and asked those presenting the campaign to read everything aloud to test the phrasing and concept. If I could grasp it quickly, then it passed with muster. We would get our message across only if it was understandable at first glance.”
Wow. Well said, Sir Richard!
So, if you are dyslexic, don’t let it ruin your life by considering it as a weakness. It can be your greatest strength. Just ask Sir Richard Branson.
