Interesting article from Luke Johnson at the Financial Times called, "Rough Diamonds Dazzle as Entrepreneurs." Luke's article is based on his own empirical analysis of the behavior of entrepreneurs. Based on his observations, he says entrepreneurs learn differently than other people, something I've observed myself time and again, both personally and professionally. He goes on to say that despite entrepreneurs' natural inclination to rebel against our very rigid system of education, many go on to lead successful, entrepreneurial lives.
What is it about entrepreneurs? Researchers aren't certain, but they've come up with several hypotheses. One of the scholars doing great work in the study of entrepreneurship is Saras D. Sarasvathy, Ph.D., at the University of Viriginia. In 2001, Sarasvathy wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review where she stated that entrepreneurs approach the world differently than your typical businessperson, who is likely to be classified as a "causal thinker"--or someone who has a goal and works within specific parameters and with available resources to achieve it. On the other hand, Sarasvathy says that entrepreneurs engage in "effectual reasoning" when looking at the world, shifting their focus from an absolute "end goal" in some cases, or drawing on different resources along the way. By engaging a wide array of resources and interacting with people outside their immediate social sphere, the process by which they achieve their goals also encourages innovation. In short, they're always thinking outside of the box.
Another very interesting fact about many entrepreneurs is that they--quite literally-- think differently. How so? Many very famous entrepreneurs have admitted to having learning disabilities that challenged them to assess the world from a different perspective: Ted Turner, Sir Richard Branson, Walt Disney, and Thomas Edison, just to name a few. Cass Business School, City University London, even published a study that said one in three U.S. entrepreneurs identified themselves as dyslexic. Though not an explanation for entrepreneurship, a very interesting commentary about the type of skills you need to succeed as an entrepreneur.
As someone who had trouble learning from age six on and was diagnosed with a learning disability later, I endured hours and hours of additional work to understand how my brain worked. While it was a hardship at the time, my learning disability taught me I could overcome basically anything. It was also an asset in the sense that I approached every problem differently than my peers, often coming up with new ways of solving problems.
So what's the bottom line? Don't discourage innovative thinking, even if it comes packaged in a hardship such as a learning disability. In reality, these unique attributes make us the people we are, and the world a better place.
Richard Branson video talking about dyslexia:
Today Show about entrepreneurs and dyslexia:
Dyslexia is a neurological development disorder. The symptoms are clear but there is no proper medication found on it. It is also found in children. And you have written very well about it. Good information is provided. Thanks for sharing it.