I left school when I was 16 year
old partly because of my dyslexia. I couldn’t always follow what was going on,
so I didn’t find the lessons interesting and became distracted. My teachers
thought I was just lazy because back then; people didn’t understand as much
about dyslexia as they do today. On one of my last days at school the
headmaster told me that I would either end up in prison or become a
millionaire. That was quite a starting prediction, but in some respects he was
right on both counts
What was definitely true was that
I seemed to think in a different way from my classmates, and had from an early
age. Throughout my teenage years I was very focused on trying to set up a
business and create something. On leaving school I devoted my energy to turning
student magazine into a nationwide publication and a profitable enterprise.
Over the years, my different way
of thinking helped me to build the Virgin Group and contributed greatly to our
success. My dyslexia guided the way we communicated with customers. When we
launched a new company, I made sure that I was shown the ads and marketing
materials. I asked those presenting the campaign to read everything aloud, in
order to test the phrasing and the overall concept. If I could grasp it
quickly, then it passed muster we would get our message across only if it was
understandable at first glance
I still check our ads campaigns
today, so we have continued to use ordinary language instead of ordinary
language instead of industry jargon. Our bank, Virgin Money, doesn’t talk about
“financial services” or “leading industry intelligence;” rather, we talk about
building a better bank for everyone. This emphasis on simplicity and clarity
also extends to our brand values; virgin companies stand for good value,
quality innovation, fun and great customers service.
When I did run into challenges, my
team and I found a way around them. For many years I ran the Virgin Group
without knowing the difference between net and gross profits we had some odd
board meetings despite such problems, we were all able to work together
smoothly because
I had learned the art of delegation by my teams. This isn’t a skill that comes
easily to some, but when you’re dyslexic, you have to trust others to do tasks
on your behalf. In some cases that can involve reading and writing so you learn
to let go
As an entrepreneur, I learned that
surrounding myself with people who were better than me at specific tasks put me
at an advantage because I was free to focus on the things I was good at. We
hired fantastic people throughout the Virgin Group to run our businesses, which
provided me with the space to think creatively ad strategically about new
ventures and new adventures as I worked to grow the business
It wasn’t until I was a young
adult that I fully recognized that I had dyslexia. By then, I also knew that
challenges can be the driving force for success and in fact, a 2005 study
found that one in three American entrepreneurs identifies as dyslexic while
other have shown that people with this disability tent to excel at detecting
patterns and grasping the bigger picture. Entrepreneurs like Thomas Edison,
Henry Ford, Ted Turner and Charles Schwab all had dyslexia
So if you are dyslexic, it is
important that you do not allow yourself to feel inferior just because you
can’t spell every word in the dictionary, vary your activities and interests so
that you can uncover your strengths in my case, I knew that I wanted to create
something to get young people’s voice across and then meant creating a magazine
and a business to pay the bills
Even Albert Einstein is thought to
have been affect by this learning disability. The famous physicist once said
that “it is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education” which is
especially true if you have dyslexia. Not being exceptional academically does
not mean that you cannot be exceptional.
Whatever personal challenge you
have to overcome, you must be brave enough to accept that you are different.
You must have the courage to trust your instincts and be ready to question what
other people don’t. if you do that, you can seize opportunities that others
would miss. Believe in yourself, and use everything you can include the
obstacles to propel you along the road to success. Who knows what you might
achieve.
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