Whether you know him as founder of Virgin records, as a commercial airline magnate or even for his record-smashing exploits of the 80s and 90s, Richard Branson is perhaps one of the twenty-first century’s most recognisable faces in business.
Something that’s less well-known about Branson—although he doesn’t make a secret of it—is his dyslexia.
Speaking in a blog posted for World Dyslexia Day, Branson seeks to empower children with dyslexia who might feel that it prevents them from going on to achieve great things. Although he dropped out of school at an early age, he highlights that it’s actually dyslexia that afforded him the creativity to solve problems and keep things simple—vital points to consider when building a business.
He also makes a point of saying that, although it can be daunting, dyslexia is no reason to be discouraged when it comes to coming up with great ideas. People with dyslexia have the skills that the world needs to create a smarter, more accessible future and he reflects on the fact that GCHQ are actively recruiting dyslexic minds because of their ability to think outside the box.
You can read Richard Branson’s Message for Dyslexic Children at his blog on Virgin.com.