The power of dyslexic thinking – our MD’s story
For Dyslexia Awareness Week, our MD Jeremy Gadd shares his own experience of being dyslexic – and how his ‘gift’ has shaped his approach to business and life…
‘An articulate, intelligent young man but you write like a five-year-old’. Not quite the feedback you’d expect from your then Head of Personnel, but these words marked a turning point for our MD Jeremy because they led to him being tested at the Dyslexic Institute in Bath.
It was the mid-1980s and Jeremy was in his teens, a trainee at John Lewis.
At that time, there was limited awareness of dyslexia – which is characterised by difficulties with reading, writing and spelling – although Jeremy says he’d known something ‘wasn’t right’ for several years.
‘It was first mentioned at primary school. My teacher did some tests and said, ‘Oh, I think you've got cross laterality’. I told my dad, and while he tried to follow it up, nothing was forthcoming: it just wasn’t understood then. It was John Lewis who had my ‘gift’ of dyslexia diagnosed and I’ll always be grateful for that.’
The value of dyslexic thinking
Fast forward 40-plus years and dyslexia awareness has radically changed.
Children are (usually) diagnosed earlier and better supported. Neurodiversity is championed not just during the British Dyslexia Association’s annual Dyslexia Awareness Week each October but year-round by leading figures in business, including Richard Branson.
Describing his own (severe) dyslexia as his ‘super power’, the Virgin boss is working with Made By Dyslexia to encourage other businesses to understand the benefits of neurodiversity. He championed the global charity’s successful campaign to get ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ added as a new and valuable skill on LinkedIn in March 2022.
So what impact does being dyslexic have on Jeremy’s daily life?
The different perspective dyslexia brings
‘I've been dyslexic all my life, so my daily life is my daily life, but I know when it's a challenge,’ he says. ‘If I'm sent a long document or somebody recommends a useful book, my heart still sinks slightly.
‘On the upside, having the gift of dyslexia gives me so much more and I wouldn’t change for anything – although being able to spell without spell check would be useful!
‘Being dyslexic hasn’t just helped shape who I am but how I interact with other people: I often see things in quite a different way, which adds real value for those I’m working with. I can grapple with complex multi-layered issues and see simple solutions.’
The theme of Dyslexia Awareness Week changes each year and has included ‘Breaking through Barriers’ (in 2022). However Jeremy is mindful of saying this has been his experience.
As he explains: ‘Often, I’ve simply navigated around any ‘barriers’: it’s a key benefit of being dyslexic. I suspect that, like many dyslexic people, the barriers I've had are self-imposed – ‘Will I get found out?’, a form of imposter syndrome, I suppose.’
Raising awareness of dyslexia to unlock potential
Do most businesses now understand the benefits of neurodiversity?
Yes, says Jeremy, but how well they embrace it (and diversity of thought) is another matter. He points to the difficulty many people from historically under-represented groups have getting onto boards – ‘a challenge not just for businesses, but for all of society’.
However, he’s encouraged by how things are changing, thanks in part to the great work of the British Dyslexia Association and others’ understanding being more widely shared. This includes Jeremy talking about his own experience of being dyslexic here.
‘On a day-to-day basis, I don’t hide that I have dyslexia. I've often joked when given the pen and flipchart while running a workshop: ‘This is a definition of my worst nightmare’. However, I crack on and just ask people to spell any words I can’t.
‘One of the other drawbacks of being dyslexic is that my handwriting is appalling – even I can't read it. I always thought this was a technique used to disguise the way I spelt things, but the upside is I rarely get asked to fill in the flip chart paper for a second time!’
Resilience to failure – strengthened by dyslexia
As JGA’s Managing Director, Jeremy’s network includes many other dynamic founders and leaders – so what’s his view of the popular link between entrepreneurship and dyslexia?
‘I've not seen the research, but it wouldn't surprise me,’ he agrees. ‘In my experience, and through meeting others, we’ve coped with our dyslexia by looking at challenges in completely different ways – we learn to find solutions that others don't always see.
‘It’s reasonable to assume that our belief that we’ll find the answer (no matter what) and make it work will also feature highly among entrepreneurs.
‘One of the greatest benefits dyslexia has given me is a fundamental and significant resilience to failure – I imagine this is also a gift that many entrepreneurs (dyslexic or not) have.’
‘One of the greatest benefits dyslexia has given me is a fundamental and significant resilience to failure – I imagine this is also a gift that many entrepreneurs (dyslexic or not) have’
Jeremy Gadd, Founder and MD
The right support for the next generation
Today, JGA is alert to the challenges of the dyslexic community, with Scala Sans and Arial our business fonts. As a company, we have also provided voluntary support to the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity through our Real Community Support (RCS).
As Jeremy concludes: ‘I’ve found all the projects I’ve been involved with through RCS incredibly rewarding. However, working with Andy Cook, Helen Arkell’s CEO, and knowing that I was making some small contribution to their work to ensure more dyslexic children are better supported was extremely special.’