Podcast Summary: Your Company's Superpower: How Dyslexic Thinkers Are Shaping the Future

Podcast: Work For Humans
Host: Dart Lindsley
Guest: Kate Griggs, Founder & CEO of Made by Dyslexia
Date: February 18, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores the untapped potential of dyslexic thinkers in the workplace and challenges the prevailing view of dyslexia as a disability. Dart Lindsley engages with Kate Griggs on how reframing dyslexia as a superpower can unlock innovation, improve company culture, and future-proof organizations. The discussion dives into practical changes for education and work environments, the science behind dyslexia, and how cognitive diversity, especially with the rise of AI, is rapidly becoming a competitive advantage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Understanding Dyslexia: Beyond a Disability

• Mission of Made by Dyslexia (02:52):
  • “It’s to help the world understand the brilliance of dyslexia and dyslexic thinking and to empower it in every home, every school, every workplace.” – Kate Griggs
• Common Misconceptions (03:07):
  • Dyslexia is often misunderstood solely as a reading disability, when it is a “different way of learning and processing information” and comes with “brilliant, incredible superpowers.”
  • 80% of dyslexics leave school without being identified, mostly because schools don’t routinely screen for it. (04:05)
• Prevalence and Diversity (04:05–05:31):
  • About 1 in 5 people are dyslexic, yet everyone has their own “spiky profile”—unique patterns of strengths and challenges.

The Flaws of Traditional Education

• Measurement Bias (07:18):
  • Schools tend to measure only what’s easy to quantify: rote learning, reading speed, and standardized testing—skills that do not capture dyslexic strengths.
  • Emphasis on conformity “filters out” creative and unconventional thinkers.
• Personal Schooling Story (20:23):
  • Kate’s teachers once said she would “never be able to get into the schools” her parents wanted due to her academic struggles. At a new, more understanding school:
    • “What are you passionate about? What is it you love to do? Where are your strengths?” (20:53)
    • Early identification and positive reinforcement completely changed her life trajectory.

Dyslexic Strengths Perfect for the Future of Work

• Key Dyslexic Strengths (08:41):
  • Communication and storytelling – “Lots of authors are dyslexic ... we're really good at storytelling.”
  • Creative problem-solving – “Finding a really innovative, creative, different solution.”
  • Big-picture thinking – “The ability to see the big picture ... connect lots of different things together.”
  • Interpersonal skills – “Dyslexic people are brilliant people people, very good at reading people and seeing what people are not saying.”
  • Spatial reasoning – Common among athletes and architects.
• Educational Disconnect (11:25–14:54):
  • Schools rarely measure or value these skills:
    • “If you can say something in short, bullet points, why does it have to be in a long essay?” (08:41)
  • Many top Hollywood actors, writers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and even mathematicians are dyslexic.

The Power of Accommodations & Environmental Design

• Effective Teaching Methods (29:11):
  • Phonics-based, multisensory teaching—using sand trays for spelling, large-motor learning—benefits everyone.
• Enabling the Individual (33:26):
  • “Don’t fit the kids into the box, build the box around the kids, build to fit.”—advice from an educator (33:15)

The Role of Family & Genetics

• Dyslexia is hereditary and presents differently even among family members. Kate’s family is about “80% dyslexic,” each with their own spiky profile and unique strengths (18:42).

Dyslexia as a Superpower in Companies

• Adapting the Workplace (47:35):
  1. Define dyslexia as a valuable thinking skill—make it a visible and celebrated organizational strength.
  2. Adjust environments and offer reasonable accommodations, often very simple (e.g. sharing meeting notes in advance).
  3. Revise recruitment—avoid filters that eliminate dyslexic candidates and proactively seek out their skills.
  4. Foster communities—support ERGs, mentoring, and visibility across seniority levels.
• Steve Varley (EY):
  • “You wouldn’t employ Superwoman and spend your whole time telling her how bad she is with kryptonite.” (47:35)
• LinkedIn & Microsoft Resources: Free online training now makes inclusion easier than ever (45:46).

Societal Impact & Advocacy

• Many unsupported dyslexics end up in alternative education or even in prison.
• The cost of not valuing dyslexia is high, especially for disadvantaged students (43:23).
• “The support should not just be something that is there for people who can afford it, it needs to be there for every kid.” (44:16)

The Dyslexic Sperm Bank – Changing the Narrative with a Viral Campaign

• Game-changing PR Move (37:07):
  • To counter a real UK sperm bank’s ban on dyslexic donors, Made by Dyslexia launched a spoof “dyslexic sperm bank” as a bold media stunt.
  • “We hired a shop... turned the shop into a sperm bank... had doctors in white coats... famous dyslexics on the wall...” (37:07)
  • Announced by Richard Branson, the campaign went viral and amplified their mission.
• Notable Public Figures: Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Thomas Edison, John Chambers, Muhammad Ali—all dyslexic.

Advice for Individuals & Leaders

• For Dyslexics (52:30):
  • “Knowledge is powerful. Learn about it and share what you’ve learned, because that really will make a difference.” (52:38)
  • Made by Dyslexia’s site, Dyslexic U, and social channels have a wealth of resources; leaning into strengths is key.
• For Employers:
  • Build “fit to purpose” environments.
  • Value divergent thinking, originality, and the “spiky profile” over uniformity and recall.
• Personal Reflections (55:00):
  • “You end up at (a young) age thinking you’re stupid ... It may turn into a chip on your shoulder that you think, right, I’m going to show you. But it’s still there.” (55:00)
  • Her mission: “We are not broken. The system doesn’t fit us, and we need to change the system to fit the way we think and not the other way around.” (57:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kate Griggs, on Dyslexic Identification:
  • “You may find some dyslexic people are very good in some areas that other dyslexics will find challenging. … The best way of thinking about it is like a spiky profile.” (05:31)
• On School Transformation:
  • “‘We can teach you to pass exams. What we want to know is—what are you passionate about? What is it you love to do?’ … Within a couple of weeks, they identified my dyslexia. So they then gave me help for all the things that I was struggling with. My life completely changed.” (20:53)
• On The Future of Work:
  • “Artificial intelligence can do all the bits that are the standardized tests… We’re looking for specialists, not generalists now.” (33:26)
• On the Viral Sperm Bank Campaign:
  • “We wanted to do things differently... The announcement was made by Richard Branson... It really, really hit the media big time.” (37:07)
• On Embracing Individuality:
  • “Don’t fit the kids into the box, build the box around the kids, build to fit.” (33:15)
• On Organizational Approach:
  • “Knowledge is power. ... It’s very simple to support dyslexic people. It’s about recognizing they are going to have this spiky profile of things they’re really good at, things they’re really not so good at.” (52:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Personal Experience: The Transformative Power of the Right Education – 00:04, 20:23
• Dyslexia Defined & Its Prevalence – 04:00
• Dyslexic Strengths in the Workplace – 08:41, 13:27
• Spatial & Visual Thinking – 13:21–14:54
• Effective Teaching Methods – 29:11–30:17
• School as Environment Design – 24:37, 33:26
• The Sperm Bank Campaign – 37:07
• Societal & Correctional Outcomes – 43:23
• Practical Actions for Leaders – 47:35
• Recommended Learning Resources – 45:46, 52:38
• Advice for Dyslexics – 52:38, 55:00
• Host’s Closing Reflection – 57:08
• Where to Learn More – 59:54

Useful Resources Mentioned

• Made by Dyslexia: madebydyslexia.org
• Dyslexic U: dyslexicyou.org
• Free Microsoft & LinkedIn Training: Made by Dyslexia learning available on Microsoft Learn and LinkedIn Learning
• Assessment Tools: Available through Made by Dyslexia’s site

Conclusion

This episode turns the common view of dyslexia on its head—showing that it’s not a deficit but a distinct cognitive profile filled with strengths vital for storytelling, innovation, complex problem solving, and leadership. Kate Griggs’ personal journey and advocacy serve as a powerful reminder of the untapped value in cognitive diversity. For leaders, educators, and anyone who is—or knows—a dyslexic thinker, this is not just about accommodation, but about empowerment and designing environments where everyone’s “spiky profile” can shine.