Releasing the Superpower: Turning a perceived challenge into a desirable difficulty
What does Henry Ford, Charles Schwab, Richard Branson, David Murdock, Steve Jobs, Ted Turner, Walt Disney and Nelson Rockefeller have in common? If you guessed they are all entrepreneurs or all millionaires, you would be right. But you might not have realized they are all Dyslexic, the new superpower or as some researchers say, a “desired difficulty”.
After reading various articles on how family businesses can accommodate this disability, I became confused then irritated. Why did the authors think it was a problem that had to be fixed instead of a gift to be nourished? And why did so many successful businesspeople flourish when society believes it is a disability?
It is a common story amongst parents, your child is precocious which was noticed early by educators. Considered among the gifted and talented. Curious is an understatement as they consume information like a sponge. Your prior reading of child development books confirms they were early walkers, talkers, climbers, doers. Socially advanced even might have been a descriptor. But then a parent teacher conference unfolds, they are behind in reading or writing. It could happen in first grade, fourth grade or even high school, but it does happen. That is when the “fix” begins.
Spending years of trying to “fix” two of my children with dyslexia, they will tell you I was doing it all wrong. Torturing them by enrolling them in reading camp. Pulling them from one school to another to get the best accommodations. Poked, prodded and analyzed for solutions, brought limited success. Not to mention the endless reminders from mom that Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso were all Dyslexic at every chance I could in order to keep up their self-esteem. We tried every experiment to get them mainstream with education when it dawned on me that I missed the point. Fixing their superpower is squashing their potential.
You wouldn’t wish dyslexia on anyone, or would you? If you want to achieve your highest potential, you might wish you were blessed with its challenges. Lets look at some of the benefits:
Amazing Memory - When we thought our son was learning to read, he was just memorizing the books. He was in fourth grade before he couldn’t keep up which is when he was diagnosed. Think about the amazing retention ability of information. We joke with him today about the random facts he has absorbed over the years like a walking encyclopedia. But that is the point, everything we may have learned for a test we have forgotten over the years, dyslexics do not.
Using this ability in the workplace is phenomenal. Studies have shown that having a good memory improves your success in the workplace. But having an exceptional memory, the sky is the limit. In this fast pace technological world where change is happening quicker than ever, the dyslexics thrive. They can consume the new information and process it with creative solutions.
Think in Pictures – Ask a dyslexic person to describe what they are thinking, and they will describe a portrait of thoughts. Unlike a typical person, they think in pictures. Our son learned to read by devouring Calvin and Hobbes. He could relate to the antics of a precocious six year old adventurous boy, much like himself, but it was the pictures that made it come alive.
Relaying a pictorial vision without getting into the weeds is what a dyslexic is all about. A family business can benefit from someone leading the way clearly and concisely, but also conveying it to the employees. Painting the picture on what direction the company should go is not only a talent, but an art.
Hard Work – Initially dyslexics are looked at as being lazy, not trying hard enough. The reality is they are working much harder but making little progress. The act of comprehending the teacher’s words, deciphering the spelling and forming the letters to get it down on paper is an overwhelming task. Covering up their ineptness is another aspect but discussed under creativity.
A core value for most family businesses is hard work so who better to model the behavior than a dyslexic. They don’t know anything different. Unlike school where everything is a challenge, they thrive in a hands on environment where they can excel. Sure they can benefit from support of an administrative assistant, but with today’s technology they self-accommodate.
Creative – Growing up these dyslexic children realize they learn differently, but they also think differently. The term “out of the box” applies to them. They would never be considered book smart, for them finding solutions to day to day living and learning became engrained. I remember asking our son how he prepares for a spelling test since he still, at 25 years old, doesn’t know the difference between a noun and a verb. He said he would count the nouns, verbs and adjectives and randomly assign them to his vocabulary knowing the odds of being correct.
Book smart has become an issue in organizations. College graduates are having a hard time applying their knowledge to the real world. Family businesses need to recognize the gift they have with a dyslexic family member. Dyslexics have been forced to think of unique solutions because they have been required to their entire life.
Self-Awareness – After been tested, prodded, experimented on, our sons have an acute sense of awareness of their strengths and weaknesses. But this is not unusual for a dyslexic. Parents, teachers and meaningful friends have been trying to fix them for years. The benefit is they are self aware of not only themselves, but of others.
With all their clinical analysis, they have an acute awareness of how the mind works. They are empathetic and good at listening. Their journey with their own issues makes them astonishing aware of others. Who do you know with a superpower? How can we help release it for the betterment of everyone?
