When I hear the early life stories of dyslexic entrepreneurs, I hear my own story. Trouble in the classroom is a universal experience. Investor Charles Schwab flunked English in college. Orfalea failed two grades and was expelled from multiple schools. Discouraging teachers are another familiar roadblock. As Virgin Group founder Richard Branson left school, the headmaster predicted he was “either going to be a millionaire or going to jail.” British entrepreneur Sharon Hewitt was told by her teacher “if (she) worked really hard (she) might be able to get a job as a shop assistant.” Hewitt went on to found an award-winning employee-relocation business.

While dyslexia is often seen as an impediment, its impact on the business world is undeniable. From IKEA to FUBU, dyslexia is a driving force in the modern economy. But what makes dyslexics such successful entrepreneurs?

After reviewing a combination of academic studies and the stories of dyslexic business leaders, five key advantages emerged. I have arranged these strengths into a helpful acronym: DOMES. To be clear, this acronym is not meant to replace scholarly inquiry. I’ve combined my own experiences and observations with some of the more unheralded insights from prominent dyslexic entrepreneurs. By articulating these hyper-abilities — perceived weaknesses that are actually extraordinary strengths — in fresh language, I hope to show that the skills that dyslexia enhances are the same ones that propel dyslexic entrepreneurs to greatness.

D: Delegation

Dyslexics feel comfortable delegating. If you know where your weaknesses are, you’re perfectly positioned to build a team around you that helps compensate for your blind spots. Orfalea confessed there wasn’t a single machine at Kinko’s he could operate. Unable to approach the business from a mechanical point of view, he hired coworkers to fill the operational gaps. He brought in strong oral communicators and relied on his team for written correspondence. Recognizing this need in my own work allows me to relate to my team as a collaborator rather than micro-manager. Delegation is the difference between being a manager and being a leader. Delegation helps dyslexics lead.

O: Oral Communication

Because writing does not come easily to most dyslexics, we are forced to find other ways to communicate. Dyslexic entrepreneurs often hyper-develop their oral communication skills in order to compensate. Branson explained how dyslexia helped him purify his company’s communication. “I need things to be simple,” he said. “Therefore when we launch a financial service company or a bank, we do not use jargon. Everything is very clear-cut, very simple. I think people have an affinity to the Virgin brand because we don’t talk above them or talk down to them.” Dyslexia pushed Branson to simplify Virgin’s voice to clear, powerful language.

M: Mental Visioning

Mental visioning is the capacity to discover nonlinear relationships, to connect dots that others can’t even see. Schwab described how dyslexia “leads to a better visualization capability, conceptual vision,” which helped him outpace and out-imagine his business rivals. Dyslexics are capable of visualizing complicated abstract concepts like business models or advertising campaigns without ever putting pen to paper. “Like dyslexic musicians who say they can see the notes that they’re playing,” says FUBU founder Daymond John, “I can see a business unfolding in my head.” The same behavior that’s maligned as daydreaming in students is praised as innovation as an adult. With some practice, dyslexics learn when to bring others into the play, then work backward to help them access their galactic vision.

E: Emotional Intuition

Many dyslexics possess an emotional intelligence that allows them to attune themselves to people’s hidden ambitions and build trusting relationships quickly. “Dyslexia teaches you how to get people on your side for reasons other than you’re smart,” explains real-estate mogul Barbara Corcoran. “Because as a kid you knew what it felt like to be a loser, you develop great empathy. When I was building my business, I could walk through a sales floor with 150 brokers and if somebody was in pain, I could feel it. I’d go up and say, ‘How are you doing?’” This ability to intuit people’s emotions — whether my clients’ or my team’s — is the foundation of my agency. A client might say they want a new logo, but their body language or tone of voice tells me they need something different, something more. My capacity to identify these underlying signals is how I help companies communicate an authentic version of themselves.

Illustrations: Gershoni Creative, Molly Russell

S: Speed

The dyslexic mind is always spinning. When you spin, you’re able to see multiple perspectives in the blink of an eye. You see through things, around things, above things, below things, within things. In this whirlwind, you encounter ideas no one else would find. Chambers described this mental process this way: “You don’t go A, B, C, D, E . . . to Z. I go A, B … Z with speed.” I would add that the dyslexic mind never fires the same way twice. One day it is A, B, Z, C and the next it’s Z, Y, A, G. This nonlinear way of thinking is the essence of entrepreneurship. If you follow the status quo, the prescribed route, a linear progression of thought, it’s a straight line to redundancy and stale ideas.

These five abilities help dyslexics achieve success beyond expectation. While most employees fit snugly into a familiar set of roles and responsibilities, dyslexics know that the systems that work for other people will not necessarily work for them. They must invent their own machine.

When I create a set of conditions that fits the way my mind works, the possibilities are endless. The drive to establish new frameworks, and the ideas that spring from it, is where entrepreneurship is born. To be an entrepreneur, you have to look beyond what is accepted and see opportunities where others least expect it. Even in an old hamburger stand.

Let’s keep the conversation going. If you’re a dyslexic entrepreneur, drop us a line at dyslexia@gershoni.com and tell us how dyslexia enables your success. For more information on how dyslexia influences the way we think, create and relate to one another, visit dyslexicdesignthinking.com.