Conversations: How dyslexia became my management superpower

Once Luke Birkett was ashamed of his dyslexia. Now he believes that it boosts his abilities as a leader

Luke Birkett CMgr MCMI was diagnosed with dyslexia while at secondary school. An enthusiastic learner in primary school, his grades and concentration had been plummeting. His dyslexia was mild – he could read and write – but it made the academic approach to learning favoured by his school difficult to grasp.

His dyslexia was a source of shame. “I hid my condition for a lot of my school and college life and then even into the start of my management career,” he says. “I was ashamed of it because I thought I might be seen as stupid.”

After leaving school, Luke was drawn towards more practical learning. He started a bricklaying apprenticeship with housebuilder Taylor Wimpey. He thrived. He won apprentice of the year for the south-east region.

As he started to climb the career ladder, his opinion of his condition changed. It stopped seeming like a burden and began to feel more like a strength.

“I would understand how things go together practically and how to solve problems, contributing to and leading team activities with my ideas and solutions. Those were my strengths, but the academic stuff was my weakness. I had to learn to bridge the gap.”

Over time, Luke found himself competing with managers who came armed with a degree. To stand out from this crowd, he was going to need some new qualifications. During this process, he developed techniques to overcome any weaknesses as a result of his dyslexia. For example, he was so determined to avoid any spelling or grammar errors that he would re-read everything he wrote countless times. As a result, he has become an excellent proofreader.

“When I proofread someone’s work, people don’t believe I’m dyslexic because of the way I am able to point out spelling and grammar mistakes. I am dyslexic, but I’ve learned ways to overcome it.”

He has also developed an enthusiasm for learning. He continuously throws himself into new courses. He is currently completing a doctorate in business administration.

“If you had told me when I was a young lad that I would be doing something like studying these courses and training qualifications and moving onto a doctorate, I would have laughed and said, ‘No that’s not for me.’ I’m so proud of my achievements. I’ve managed to do something that someone from my background wouldn’t normally choose to do.”

A different approach to leadership

It’s not that most dyslexic people couldn’t do a doctorate, Luke says; they’ve just been conditioned to believe that they can’t. He’s currently working with organisations including CMI, the Chartered Institute of Building, the Chartered Association of Building Engineers, the Association for Project Management and Go Construct to change the prevailing view of what dyslexic people are capable of.

“Even though dyslexia is officially branded as a learning disability, I prefer the term ‘learning difference’,” he says. This is also the preferred term of the British Dyslexia Association, Dyslexia Scotland and many of Luke’s fellow association members with dyslexia.

It has made me a tougher person, and it has also helped to drive me further. I knew it was a weakness that I had, and I didn’t want to have a weakness

Dyslexic people tend to have excellent problem-solving skills, creative skills and a very practical approach to management, Luke says. They are also great at managing people and projects. Many people, however, still have the misconception that you couldn’t trust a dyslexic person to manage numbers or communicate effectively with a team.

In reality, there’s no reason why those people couldn’t excel within any kind of management or senior leadership role, even when their dyslexia is severe. Luke mentions an acquaintance – the managing director of a large construction company – who can barely put an email together, but who is a very effective, respected and trusted leader in the sector. “Because of his practical thinking, his people skills and his management skills, he’s really highly regarded. He has people who support him with his weaknesses, but he’s still a great asset to the business.”

Let’s look at this a different way...

Many of history’s brightest leaders and thinkers – Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Steven Spielberg and many entrepreneurs – have been dyslexic. In many situations, dyslexic people can provide valuable diversity of thought.

The stigma attached to dyslexia can hold people back from putting themselves forward for career progression. Managers can help break that stigma by recognising the strengths and benefits that dyslexic workers can bring to their teams and organisations. Some employers are already making improvements in this area, and the need for diversity of thought has become a hot topic for managers and leaders.

“It still has got to evolve further,” says Luke. “I’d like to see businesses create a support network for people who struggle with any learning processes. They need to create user-friendly documents, processes and systems that people of all backgrounds and differences can easily use.”

Luke is now running his own high-end housebuilding business, Future Homes Design and Build. He’s channelling all of his unique skills and experiences into his role. His experience of processing his feelings about dyslexia has left him with the resilience that he needs for the role.

“It has made me a tougher person, and it has also helped to drive me further,” he says. “I knew it was a weakness that I had, and I didn’t want to have a weakness. I didn’t want it to stop me from achieving things in life. I turned that negative into a positive and used it to drive me further forward in my career. I probably wouldn’t have done that if I was naturally academic.”