Communicators and Smart Brevity

For decades, Dyslexic Thinking has been responsible for some of our greatest inventions, brands, art and even icons.

From the iPhone to Virgin. DreamWorks to Muhammad Ali.

Yet, this kind of thinking has rarely been taught, measured or treasured by traditional education systems or workplaces.

But now, as we enter the 5th Industrial Revolution – a world powered by human intelligence AND machines - the demand for this creative, innovative and adaptable thinking has never been greater.

In this course, you’ll find out why Dyslexic Thinking is now recognised as a valuable set of skills.

   Welcome to DyslexicU, the University of Dyslexic Thinking

Timing: 5 minutes

Watch this video, in which Kate Griggs welcomes you to DyslexicU, the University of Dyslexic Thinking, a new school of thought where you can learn the intelligence the world needs now.

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KATE GRIGGS

Welcome to DyslexicU, the University of Dyslexic Thinking, a new school of thought where you can learn the intelligence the world needs now.

For decades, Dyslexic Thinking has been responsible for some of our greatest inventions, brands, art, and even icons. From the iPhone to Virgin, DreamWorks to Muhammad Ali. Yet this kind of thinking has rarely been taught, measured, or treasured by traditional education systems or workplaces.

But now as we enter the 5th Industrial Revolution, a world powered by human intelligence and machines, the demand for this creative, innovative, and adaptable thinking has never been greater. Just as previous industrial revolutions, fuelled by steam power or electricity or computers and digital connectivity, transformed our world, modern day artificial intelligence is revolutionising the type of thinking that is critical for success today.

Because AI has learned to aggregate and recall knowledge faster and better than humans, making the skills that AI cannot easily replicate like problem solving, innovation, lateral thinking and interpersonal skills, the most sought-after skills in every job, in every sector worldwide. And these skills are inherent to one particular group of people... dyslexics.

Now is the time for dyslexics to learn more about their Dyslexic Thinking skills and to shout about them. And it's time for non-dyslexics to learn more about Dyslexic Thinking skills and develop them. Because these are the skills needed to thrive in this new AI powered world. DyslexicU is here to help everyone to do just that.

In this course, I explain Dyslexic Thinking and the vital role it plays in creating powerful communicators. Throughout the course, I'm joined by incredible communicators who share how their Dyslexic Thinking has helped make sense of world events, inspire global movements, bring peace to conflict, and create positive change in the world.

Alongside the film content, you'll find lots of links to useful resources to help you further your learning and discovery about communicating powerfully. This course on Communicators and Smart Brevity is proudly supported by Axios, who changed the way the world consumes news with the idea of Smart Brevity. Let's jump straight in and hear from the co-founder and proud dyslexic communicator Roy Schwartz.

ROY SCHWARTZ

How many times have you skimped through a thousand-word article only to give up after the first 250 words? Well, the truth is about 80% of us do exactly that. And that's because we're overwhelmed. We're getting text messages. We're getting Teams messages, Slack messages, fake news, real news, and it is just overwhelming. It is so hard for us to get caught up on news and information.

And that's exactly why we developed the concept for Smart Brevity. It's a way of giving you the news and information that you need in the most concise way possible, gives you the ‘what's new’ and the ‘why it matters’. And it's also a way of communicating that comes naturally to dyslexics like myself.

And in fact, dyslexics are master communicators. I often find myself in meetings trying to help people understand what's happening in the most concise way possible. And this course will show you exactly how to do that: how to cut through the noise, how to see the heart of the story, and to communicate in the most simple and powerful way possible.

I'm proud to support this course on how to communicate effectively and on the best of Smart Brevity. Whether you're a Dyslexic Thinker or you just want to become a better communicator, whether at home or at work, I'm excited that you're here to take this course and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you.

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Dyslexic brains process information differently.

Our neural pathways are different from someone who is not dyslexic, meaning… we literally think differently.

This gives us a pattern of valuable strengths, which are called Dyslexic Thinking skills.

This course helps you to understand what Dyslexic Thinking is and why it’s now seen as the world’s most sought-after skill.

   What exactly is Dyslexic Thinking?

Timing: 2 minutes

In this video, Kate describes how dyslexic brains process information differently.

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KATE GRIGGS

So, what exactly is Dyslexic Thinking? Dyslexic brains process information differently. Our neural pathways are different from someone who is not dyslexic, meaning we literally think differently. This gives us a pattern of valuable strengths, which are called Dyslexic Thinking skills. The dictionary definition of Dyslexic Thinking is: 'An approach to problem-solving, assessing information, and learning, often used by people with dyslexia, that involves pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, lateral thinking, and interpersonal skills.'

In 2022, LinkedIn, the world's largest career platform, added Dyslexic Thinking as an official skill, recognising that this type of thinking was becoming vital in the changing world of work. The 2024 Intelligence 5.0 report found that as a result of AI, the type of intelligence the world needs has changed. Creativity, communication, adaptability, complex problem solving are the skills that research tells us are vital to every job in every sector, across the world. They are the skills all humans need to thrive alongside AI and they are all Dyslexic Thinking skills.

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There are six Dyslexic Thinking skills.

Most dyslexics are a combination of a few of these, rarely all!

   Dyslexic Thinking skills

Timing: 4 minutes

Watch this video, in which Kate describes each of these skills.

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KATE GRIGGS

There are six Dyslexic Thinking skills, and most dyslexics are a combination of these, rarely all. Let me talk you through them.

The first Dyslexic Thinking skill is Visualising. Interacting with space, senses, physical ideas and new concepts. Dyslexic Thinkers who are good at visualising may be able to visualise complex user journeys or see project plans come together in their mind. We may excel at product development, visualising how parts fit together and can see challenges from multiple angles, or see and sense business opportunities and how they come together.

Second, we have Imagining. Creating an original piece of work or giving ideas a new spin. Dyslexic thinkers who excel at imagining drive innovation. We see what could be, not what is. We come up with new ideas and approaches that no one else has thought of because we see the world differently, and this helps drive business forward.

Next, we have Communicating. Crafting and conveying clear and engaging messages. These kinds of dyslexic thinkers are great at simplifying concepts, building narratives, or selling a vision that helps to galvanise the rest of the organisation to make it happen. We are great at taking lengthy, complex information and simplifying it into short, easy to understand formats.

Next, Reasoning. Understanding patterns, evaluating possibilities and making decisions. Reasoners make connections across complex issues, subjects and data which others don't see. We use our intuition, think around problems connecting the dots of insight. Brilliant big picture thinkers, we cut through the noise, rise above a problem or situation to get a helicopter, big picture view, rather than getting stuck in the detail.

Another Dyslexic Thinking skill is Connecting. Understanding self, connecting, empathising and influencing others. Dyslexic thinkers excel in empathising, negotiating and expressing themselves orally. We are also highly self-aware with high levels of emotional intelligence. These skills help make us great leaders who can build, support and empower teams, people and organisations.

The sixth and final Dyslexic Thinking skill is Exploring. Being curious and exploring ideas in a constant and energetic way. Dyslexic thinkers have endless curiosity for finding out new things, learning new skills and finding different ways to do things. We don't like the status quo. We have boundless energy and passion for digging into things and exploring subjects so the most is learned, and inspiring others to do this too.

Now you have a big picture understanding of Dyslexic Thinking, let's do a deeper dive into why it makes such powerful communicators.

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Now you have a big picture understanding of Dyslexic Thinking, let’s do a deeper dive into why it makes powerful communicators.

In this course, you can learn how dyslexics tap into their Dyslexic Thinking to communicate powerfully and turbocharge your own communication skills.

You’ll learn from some of the world’s best dyslexic communicators, from Winston Churchill to JFK, respected CNN news anchors to top spies, gifted space communicators to skilled diplomats and even the Archbishop of Canterbury.

   Why do dyslexics make such good communicators?

Timing: 2 minutes

In this video, Kate finds that many of the world’s most skilled communicators are powered by their Dyslexic Thinking.

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KATE GRIGGS

Here's a fact. Nine out of ten dyslexics have poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar. But over 70% of us are above average at communicating. And while AI is poised to take over our challenges, autocorrecting our spelling, it's our communication skills strongly linked to our interpersonal skills that AI cannot replace.

Research tells us these are the most valued skills in every workplace, in every sector across the world.

So why do dyslexics make such good communicators? From wartime leaders like Churchill who use their words to lead and inspire a nation to victory, to skilled diplomats who use their words to foster peace, respected CNN news anchors to top spies, gifted space communicators and even the Archbishop of Canterbury, dyslexics use their curiosity and passion to explore the world, understand complex situations or facts and explain them to others in a way that's simple and easy to understand.

We become so skilled at it, it looks easy. But as Apple founder Steve Jobs said: “Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.”

It's an idea he borrowed from fellow dyslexic whose ideas transform the world we live in, Leonardo da Vinci. He said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” While everyone has the ability to communicate well, dyslexics tap into the skills they are hardwired with to approach communicating differently. And those are skills I'll share in this course.

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This short session sets out the five reasons dyslexics make powerful communicators.

Setting out the big picture – before the course dives in and explores them, one by one.

   Reasons why dyslexics make powerful communicators

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In this video, Kate explains the five reasons why dyslexics make such powerful communicators.

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KATE GRIGGS

Here are the five reasons dyslexics make powerful communicators.

1. We make sense of the big picture.

2. We're great at simplifying.

3. We have high levels of emotional intelligence.

4. We are passionate and curious.

5. We engage hearts and minds.

I'll take you through them one by one so you too can communicate simply and powerfully.

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Dyslexics make connections across complex issues, subjects, and data, which others often don’t see. This is known as the big picture processing skill.

When it comes to communicating, this allows us to connect the dots and gain a big picture understanding of the subject.

Many become skilled journalists and TV presenters, helping the audience to make sense of world events and situations that are constantly evolving. Plus, hear why the world’s best communicators don’t have to be the world’s best spellers, from the co-founder of Axios, Roy Schwartz, and the SVP & Chief Communications Officer at LinkedIn, Nicole Leverich.

   Dyslexics are big picture thinkers

Timing: 15 minutes

Kate hears how dyslexic communicators use their big picture thinking to make sense of evolving situations.

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KATE GRIGGS

The first reason why dyslexics make powerful communicators is we make sense of the big picture. The Dyslexic Thinking skills of reasoning and communication.

The dyslexic brain is wired differently. This means we're often able to connect stories and see patterns in narratives where others may not. This makes us skilled at understanding big ideas or evolving situations and explaining them to others. It's a fact that's rooted in neuroscience.

As MRI brain scanning shows, research carried out by Dr. Manuel Casanova while at University of Kentucky School of Medicine found that dyslexic brains have a bias to long-distance connections. They have a longer distance between axons and mini columns, which leads to the big picture processing skill. This allows dyslexics to make connections across complex issues, subjects, and data which others often don't see. When it comes to communicating, this allows us to connect the dots and gain a big picture understanding of the problem.

Many of us become skilled journalists and TV presenters, helping our audience to make sense of world events and situations that are constantly evolving. CNN news anchors past and present, Robyn Curnow and Anderson Cooper, are both dyslexic. Thinking about his role as a communicator, Addison Cooper says: “A lot of compelling stories in the world aren't being told, and the fact that people don't know about them compounds the suffering.”

For over 30 years, Anderson Cooper has been reporting on war zones and humanitarian crisis, and using his Dyslexic Thinking skills to connect the dots, make sense of the big picture, and communicate this clearly to his viewers around the world. It's a skill he shares with former CNN journalist Robyn Curnow. She spent over two decades at CNN breaking the biggest stories and interviewing everyone from Nelson Mandela to Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Let's hear from her now.

ROBYN CURNOW

You know, the funny thing is I didn't choose television. I didn't even choose journalism, to come into it. It kind of chose me. To write for television, particularly television news, is like a dyslexic dream because you have to write often in bold capital letters, the sentences are simple, you're writing to pictures, and you need to take away all useless information. Anything that you put into a television news report has to be the real essence of the story.

And then of course there's storytelling. Generally, TV news is an amazing place to be able to trust your dyslexic instincts, which is: look at the big picture, identify the story, tell the story, and create a narrative that that is simplified so that an audience can understand the main issues.

KATE GRIGGS

Her ability to quickly summarise a situation or assess the facts and present an angle comes as a result of her Dyslexic Thinking skills of reasoning and communication. While she shone in the newsroom, Robyn struggled at school and didn't have her Dyslexic Thinking spotted until later in life.

ROBYN CURNOW

It was a relief to know I was dyslexic as an adult. It was also quite a stunning piece of self-knowledge, because it explained so much. And without having to sound like, I don't know, Spider-Man's uncle or one of the Avengers, it suddenly dawned on me that my greatest weakness was also my greatest strength.

KATE GRIGGS

In order to make sense of the big picture, dyslexics often use their multiensory ability to feel, see and understand what's happening around them. This is crucial in humanitarian crises. Former UN advocate Princess Sarah Zeid speaks about how she uses her Dyslexic Thinking to make sense of the big picture.

HRH PRINCESS SARAH ZEID

I started out as a 19-year-old intern at the UN, and I figured out how to be in the right places at the right time. And it was actually my first job out of graduate school that I started to really get a sense that there was something very different about the way that I saw the world and how I needed to learn the world, and that sitting and reading reams of paper and statistics and data and so on didn't make sense until I was able to go to a place.

And so very early on in this journey of mine at the UN, I was in southern Iraq and it was 8:00 in the morning. We got out of our cars, and immediately you could feel your face begin to to sizzle in the heat and walking into a school over a stream of sewage into a school and over shards of glass and so on, in just searing heat. It all became clear to me all of the multifaceted issues that the community there was suffering, and also some of the solutions and how we were going to to tackle them.

KATE GRIGGS

It's not just humanitarian advocates who use their Dyslexic Thinking to make sense of the big picture. Spies do too. GCHQ, the UK's Cyber and Security Service, have long known the value of dyslexics as communicators, able to see patterns and cut through the noise and make sense of the big picture. Here's former director of GCHQ Jeremy Fleming explaining why dyslexic communicators are crucial to his mission to keep the UK safe; and Charlotte, a dyslexic spy, who explains how her Dyslexic Thinking helps her do what she does.

JEREMY FLEMING

People who think differently, people with dyslexia, are integral to my teams. And when I see dyslexic people in my teams, then they are team players. They can see through the noise to see the facts. They they are really good at simplifying. And in this day and age, when technology is increasing the pace of everything, then those teams have to be more and more effective. So I deliberately go out and look for people who think differently.

CHARLOTTE

As an intelligence analyst, I work in a 24/7 operations center. And I can't go into too much detail on what I do, but I can say that I'm an analyst working on some of the biggest incidents threatening the UK. I'm often looking through a lot of data, and I find that my dyslexia helps me to see the bigger picture and spot patterns that aren't always obvious to everyone else around me. I also find that my approach to finding solutions is very different. I often think quite fast and outside of the box, and this is key to my job.

KATE GRIGGS

Former Head of Communications at GCHQ and Director of National Security Communications at No. 10 Downing Street, Andrew Pike, went on to use exactly these Dyslexic Thinking skills to help bring about peace in places of conflict like Northern Ireland. Joining the dots, seeing patterns, connecting people and ideas that didn't want to be connected. Like Robyn Curnow, he didn't have his Dyslexic Thinking spotted until later in his career, too.

ANDREW PIKE

I suppose it's worth saying that I never knew that I was a dyslexic. I was about, gosh, 42 or something, I think, when I was diagnosed... I hate that term, diagnosed, by the way.

KATE GRIGGS

Identify, we use.

ANDREW PIKE

Yeah, identify is a much better word because I don't feel as if I'm suffering from anything with my dyslexia. And honesty and integrity, all those things I link back to my dyslexic way of thinking. Because I suppose before I knew I was dyslexic, I was forced to develop those underdeveloped muscles when I started off, maybe to compensate for the fact that I wasn't this linear, you know, sort of Oxbridge thinker.

KATE GRIGGS

Yeah. And I think you describe the ability to empathise with others and get them to receive the ideas that you're wanting them to receive, I think.

ANDREW PIKE

That's diplomacy, right? In diplomacy, what are you trying to do? You're trying to get somebody to do something they may not want to do. How do you do that? Well, if you read, you know, Kissinger or whatever, you will read a lot about the strategic approach. And of course, that's important. Part of it which is not written or talked about enough is charm, likability, honesty, trustworthiness, decentness.

I'm not being pious. I've got many, many, many things wrong over my life. But I tell you what, that is a thread to how you come at these things will get you much further in my judgment than having this beautifully laid plan and sticking rigidly down the middle to it. And some of the best diplomats I've worked with are, you know, they do nail those things.

KATE GRIGGS

While Andy's Dyslexic Thinking skills have undoubtedly helped him to achieve remarkable things, when he first discovered his dyslexia his first instinct was to hide it, like three in four dyslexics in the workplace.

ANDREW PIKE

I remember being devastated when I was told, thinking, I can't let anybody know because, you know, I've got ‘communicator’ in my title. You know, you can't be a dyslexic communicator. Actually, Kate, it was many years later in GCHQ when you said to me, I think when we first knew each other, ‘what are you talking about?’ I thought god, no, it's rather a good thing to be dyslexic communicator. So of course I've talked publicly about...

KATE GRIGGS

Dyslexics are brilliant communicators. It's one of our superpowers.

ANDREW PIKE

But I suppose the conflation of the idea with the written word and all that. Written word, by the way, has not really been my problem. I mean, I do take longer to draft complex things out. But for me, it's the way that I process and the way that I think.

KATE GRIGGS

As Andy explains, it's important to see communication not just as the written word. It's the ability to speak so others listen and join you on your mission. It's the ability to sense, read the room, listen carefully, and hear what's not being said. And most importantly, you don't have to be a great speller to be a brilliant communicator.

Many dyslexics are gifted communicators, but struggle with spelling, grammar, or organizing their thoughts on paper. They excel verbally explaining and communicating their ideas in person rather than on paper. But the great news is AI is helping with our challenges, and our strengths have become even more valuable in the workplace. Here's Nicole Leverich, LinkedIn's Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, speaking at Made By Dyslexia's World Dyslexia Assembly.

NICOLE LEVERICH

I'd make mistakes. I still make mistakes. I'd spell things wrong in email, and I've been taken harshly to task over it. But getting past that first few years, I started to be able to see some of the advantages of being dyslexic. I'm a very creative problem-solver. I'm able to look at things from all sorts of different perspectives, and that's a gift. It's a skill that I have because I am dyslexic.

KATE GRIGGS

Master communicator Roy Schwartz, who co-founded Axios and co-authored the definitive guide to communicating simply and powerfully, Smart Brevity, is the same.

ROY SCHWARTZ

So, I can't spell anything. I can't understand grammar. And I've tried very, very hard to do both, and I still can't do it. To give you some sense of my spelling challenges, sometimes they're so bad that spell check doesn't know what word I'm trying to use. So I have to actually go and use Google and put it in a sentence in order to get it.

And there's some words that baffle me. Because I feel like I'm smart, I know a lot of things. But yet I can't spell the word ‘exercise’. I can't spell the word ‘entrepreneurship’. And so often I have to try and find a different word because I can't spell it at the time and I don't have the time to, you know, go look it up. So I'll just try and use a different word.

So that's been a challenge, and especially when you're in media and journalism and I'm writing to other people who are professional writers, I'm always concerned that I'm not doing a good job or that someone is realizing that I can't spell or can't write correctly. So, that's been very difficult. But luckily, I think things are moving in the right direction for dyslexics in the sense of AI, spell check, grammar check, all of those things are starting to be corrected automatically which is great.

KATE GRIGGS

The skills dyslexics have are the skills the world needs. AI can aggregate. Dyslexic thinkers use their skills, including their communication skills, to innovate. Princess Beatrice sums this up brilliantly.

HRH PRINCESS BEATRICE

When I look at Dyslexic Thinking, I am inspired to see the way that we could probably solve some of the world's biggest problems if we put Dyslexic Thinking in the heart of the narrative. And this is about communication skills. This is about teamwork. This is about collaboration. You know, some of the most important things that we need to have if we are ever going to design a future where technology and humanity can be symbiotic in the successes that we really need to see.

KATE GRIGGS

Here are three key takeaways from this section. One, dyslexics make sense of the big picture. Two, they're good at connecting facts and seeing patterns in narratives where others may not. Three, this helps them understand big ideas or evolving situations and explain them to others.

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Dyslexic minds are great at stripping away unnecessary detail to create clear, compelling messages. This means they excel in careers where explaining, educating or influencing are key, like teaching, marketing, journalism, campaigning or PR.

Hear from the co-founder of Axios and co-author of Smart Brevity, Roy Schwartz, the journalist Stephanie Ruhle, chef Jamie Oliver and many more on the art of keeping it simple.

   Keeping it simple is a dyslexic strength

Timing: 11 minutes

In this video, Kate shows how dyslexic communicators are able to cut through the noise, communicate clearly and make complex subjects simple.

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KATE GRIGGS

The second reason why dyslexics make powerful communicators is we are great at simplifying the Dyslexic Thinking skills of reasoning and communicating. Dyslexic minds are great at stripping away unnecessary detail to create clear, compelling messages. This means they excel in careers where explaining, educating or influencing are key, like teaching, marketing, journalism, campaigning or PR.

Communicating your products and services simply has helped to build the most loved brands, from Apple to IKEA and, of course, Virgin. Richard Branson has famously said: “If it can't fit onto the back of an envelope, it's probably a bad idea.” Meaning if you can't sum up what a company offers in one line, it's too complicated for your customers to understand and buy into.

He built this philosophy on a strategy developed by the US Navy in 1960 called ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’, or KISS for short. Communicating simply has been a military imperative for years, with their concept of commander's intent. While battle plans can be up to 150 PowerPoint slides long, the commander's intent sums it up in one sentence. It explains a mission's purpose or outcome as simply as possible to ensure there's no confusion in the heat of battle. Keeping it simple comes naturally to dyslexic thinkers.

Here's Roy Schwartz to explain the most valuable strength his dyslexic thinking gives him.

ROY SCHWARTZ

I would say it is simplifying complex ideas. I didn't realise it was a strength of mine until I entered the business world. And then all of a sudden I realised, oh, I can take complex information, simplify it down, and be able to share it with other people. And so that became my superpower. But it took me years to figure it out. It wasn't until I was in the business world that I was like ‘oh, this is what I do really well.

KATE GRIGGS

Along with his Axios co-founders Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen, he developed a new way of simplifying news and information. And together, they went on to write the definitive guide to communicating simply and clearly called Smart Brevity. Here's Roy again to explain.

ROY SCHWARTZ

And so that was the insight that launched Axios. The idea of, how do we give people news and information in what ended up being called Smart Brevity, this new format, and how do we do it in the most concise way possible? And 250 words happens to be the number of words that fit on one screen of your phone.

And so we realised, oh, people want one screen of information. Maybe if they want to go deeper, two screens of information. So we basically put everything into ‘what's new and why does it matter?’ And very quickly we realised this is bigger than news. This is actually how people should communicate in this modern era. And that's why we wrote the book.

KATE GRIGGS

Getting to the heart of a story and simplifying it so everyone can understand it, and explaining why it matters, is a dyslexic skill, one that's highly valued in the real world. But as Roy explains, it's not a skill that's nurtured in school.

ROY SCHWARTZ

For whatever reason, it's a bug in humanity. We sit down, we start writing, and everything we do is long. And we're trained that way from school. How many times we got assignments that said ‘we want three pages of this or five pages of this.’ And so we all played with the margins and played with the ways to make that, you know, font larger and have as few words as possible. It should have been the other way around. They should have said take this complex theory, this complex observation, and try and make it as concise as possible. Try and have Smart Brevity.

And that's why that book, you know, we've written it in that way. But I think if people could do that, that's a real skill. Anyone can fill up five pages of nonsense. Can you actually get it down to a single paragraph, a few sentences? That's the real skill.

KATE GRIGGS

Like Roy, many other journalists are dyslexic and use their Dyslexic Thinking to simplify information and create compelling stories. Tori Cadogan, education editor at Tatler, says: “My Dyslexic Thinking has helped me to strip away unnecessary details, to create clear and concise messages.” Likewise, Stephanie Ruhle, star of MSNBC's 11th Hour, explains how she uses her Dyslexic Thinking skills to simplify complex business news.

STEPHANIE RUHLE

I think where my Dyslexic Thinking really came into play was during COVID, because I'm the business analyst for NBC News. And just trying to help people—whether it was on traditional broadcast, we were doing all sort of digital broadcast—just helping people understand, right? Like, how are you going to file your taxes this year? Are you going to get a stimulus check? Here's how this works.

And so oftentimes business news is very hard for people to understand, because business news is like a different language. And it's like it turns most of us into dyslexics, because we don't speak that language. But for me, I have to really break it down so I can understand it. And so I break it down for myself, and once I do that then I can break it down for my audience.

KATE GRIGGS

Other dyslexic minds, like that of space scientist and communicator and Made By Dyslexia ambassador Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, use their dyslexic communication skills to simplify concepts that are out of this world, and go on to engage new audiences and inspire a generation.

As she explains: “As a scientist, I have found that I'm able to take complex ideas and simplify them, storytell and bring science ideas to life in my own unique way. This has been a huge advantage.” Here's Maggie explaining how she discovered that her greatest dyslexic strengths lay not just in exploring new frontiers in space science but in communicating those to as many people as possible, so we can all share in the wonder of the world around us.

DAME MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK

It took me many years to work out what my strengths and weaknesses are. And even working as a space scientist, I love doing the job, but there's a lot of paperwork. And so I think I'm a more effective science communicator. So I take the discoveries that are made and I can share them with many people. So know your strengths and weaknesses and work to your strengths. And also, I'd like to say, I always say, reach for the stars no matter what your stars are.

KATE GRIGGS

Simplifying complex scientific information is a strength that BBC wildlife presenter, zoologologist and Made By Dyslexia ambassador Megan McCubbin shares. Communicating compelling stories about the natural world is what she thrives at.

MEGAN MCCUBBIN

It goes a long way, actually, having a dyslexic mind. Because I'm able to look at scientific information, strip away the complexity that I don't need—I don't even see it half the time—and I can pinpoint the bits that are exciting for an audience and the bits that aren't necessarily needed. You know, the methodology in a study, for example.

And I can put it together like a puzzle and I can visually see a story, and I can hear how I might present it or I might write it. And I can kind of get a feel, actually, in a weird sense, for what I want to do with that story. And I think that is all about dyslexia. I think that's very much a dyslexic trait.

KATE GRIGGS

Cutting through the noise, communicating clearly, and making complex things simple is a skill used to brilliant effect by dyslexic chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver. For him, communicating goes beyond words. He creates cookbooks where images explain culinary techniques and a simple, clear layout guides you through the steps. Beyond this, he simplifies recipes to make them easy to remember. This has helped him to sell over 50 million books worldwide, making him Britain's bestselling non-fiction writer.

JAMIE OLIVER

Some of my books are solution books. And I think is it's got dyslexic code all over it. And if you look at the page, it's like fighting for white space, fighting for order. If you saw me edit my books, you'd find it quite fascinating. I edit pages so there's no run-over. So it's just blocks of text. I fight for white space. If I'm writing recipes... you know, if you look at old recipes, it'll be ‘175 grams of this, 320 grams of that.’ You'll never get that with me.

It's quite modular. Like a pack of butter is 250 grams, right? So it'll be half a pack, or a whole pack if it's 100 grams or 200 grams. Like, you won't see odd numbers. So it's not just words that kind of mess with my brain. It's like... numbers piss me off, too. So if I had a choice to give you a recipe that was the best recipe on the planet that was annoying, I would rather give you a really, really easy recipe that was like 85% good, right?

So it sounds really weird, right? But like, if I can go 200 grams of butter, 200 grams of sugar, 200 grams of almond flour, you know, two eggs, you know, two pinches of cinnamon, two two two two. Like, if you look in my books, you'll go ‘oh, here he is on another one.’ And it's not just repeats. It's also one, two, three, four. You'll see that as well.

So what I'll try and do is I'll try and break the recipe. Sometimes you can't do it and you just have to, you know, succumb to reality. But what you'll see in my recipes, and I think this is why people come back, is because I try and write recipes that you can kind of memorise.

KATE GRIGGS

But it also keeps it simple. Nobody wants to fiddle around. You just want to sort of get it done really, don't you? Which is why I think everything you do is so successful...

JAMIE OLIVER

And step-by-steps and images. And the fact that, you know, even in my first book, like, where words couldn't quite describe something, when you're rolling it and wrapping it and tying it, a picture does it all.

KATE GRIGGS

Complex recipes made simple and memorable. That's got to be dyslexic communicating at its best. Here are three key takeaways from this section. One, dyslexic minds are great at making complex information easy to understand. Two, they do this by stripping away unnecessary detail, getting to the heart of the story. And three, they don't just communicate simply through words, but using different senses and channels to communicate.

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Dyslexics have a greater ability to sense, understand and respond to how others feel.

This heightened emotional intelligence means we look beyond words, and read body language, using our intuition and empathy to communicate.

This allows for a more authentic connection with people and can result in a deeper understanding of their stories and a greater skill in telling them. It’s all part of our Connecting skills.

   Tapping into our emotional intelligence

Timing: 9 minutes

In this video, Kate hears from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally; former Chief Nursing Officer, Ruth May; Cabinet member, Peter Kyle and Wildlife presenter Hamza Yassin on how their emotional intelligence helps them communicate powerfully.

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KATE GRIGGS

The third reason why dyslexics make powerful communicators is dyslexics have high levels of emotional intelligence. The Dyslexic Thinking skill of connecting. It isn't just our knack of making complex ideas clearer that makes us strong communicators. We're also able to use our high levels of empathy and emotional intelligence to listen carefully to others and create messages that connect powerfully, too.

Dyslexics have a greater ability to sense, understand and respond to how others feel. This allows for more authentic connection with people, and can result in a deeper understanding of their stories and a greater skill in telling them. It's all part of our connecting skills. Journalist Stephanie Ruhle explains this Dyslexic Thinking skill is central to her success.

STEPHANIE RUHLE

I'm a super curious person, and I think if there is something I have a lot of, it's emotional intelligence. And I can feel a person, right? I can really emotionally connect with someone. And whether it's a hard interview or a light interview, if you can connect with the person that you're interviewing, you can open them up.

I have an evening show, so I can pull in the evening news story that a reporter will lay out for the audience, and I can say to the audience ‘here's the thing that happened today,’ right? And the reporter is going to lay it out. And then I'm going to sit down with my audience and some guests, and I'm going to explain to my audience, here's why it matters and here's why it matters to you.

KATE GRIGGS

For many dyslexics, connecting goes beyond words. We have the ability to read body language, understand cues and sense what a person is feeling, which makes us more skilled at responding. Here's BBC wildlife presenter and cameraman Hamza Yassin to explain.

HAMZA YASSIN

We pick up nuances. And when I say we, it's the royal we, which is for dyslexic people. I know it can be slightly different for other people, but we tend to pick up nuances. We pick up habits, behaviors, a lot quicker than other humans who are not dyslexic. And for me, it's a gift. It's an absolute gift and I want to share it with the world.

KATE GRIGGS

The Right Reverend and Right Honorable Dame Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury, recognises the strengths her dyslexia brings both in her role now as the head of the Church of England and in her previous role before ordination as England's chief nursing officer.

SARAH MULLALLY

What I recognise is that I do have the ability to empathise with people. I also have high emotional intelligence. I have the ability to look beyond the immediate to the broader sense of what's going on. And looking at that, I think those are the things that have helped me, both in my leadership within nursing but also my leadership within the church. And of course, that's some of the skills that people say and attribute to dyslexia.

KATE GRIGGS

She talks about the Dyslexic Thinking skill of not just listening to what's being said, but using her heightened emotional intelligence to hear what's not being said to dig deeper and respond more fully. It's a skill that many dyslexics tap into to communicate powerfully by reading body language, using their intuition and empathy, responding to all the visual stimuli in front of them, not just the words that are spoken.

SARAH MULLALLY

The ability to listen and to empathise with people I think has helped. And certainly in a room—so at the moment in a Zoom room, so in a Zoom room—to not only hear what people are saying but to listen to what they're saying and to get behind what they're saying, helps in finding a way forward that gets a better outcome. And I think that's one of my observations about myself, is the ability to listen to the room and to better understand what is going on.

And the other wonderful thing it gives you is the ability not only to listen but to talk to people and to explain things and to empathise with them. So for example, very rarely do I ever read a speech or read a sermon, you know, because the fact is you trip up on it. So I've always memorised and spoken it, because it's much more free, which allows you then to have a greater freedom to speak to people. So you are able to speak to groups of people, to listen what they're saying and change your language so that they can better hear.

KATE GRIGGS

With these enhanced emotional strengths, it's no surprise that many dyslexics are drawn into careers like nursing, caring, social work, and becoming champions of the socially disadvantaged. During the COVID pandemic, the responsibility to lead England's 373,000 nurses and midwives fell to Ruth May, England's chief nursing officer. She used her Dyslexic Thinking skills of connecting to communicate key health messages to the UK.

DAME RUTH MAY

I first noticed I was dyslexic when people with said that I was really good at listening and I was exceptionally good at questioning, because I was overcompensating for not being able to read the long, long, long documents that come with doing the job, as Sarah knows. Sarah's has been chief nursing officer for England. So during the pandemic, though, I think the strength has been my ability to connect, connect with the public when I'm wanting to give some messages, connecting with the front line, and that's... being able to live in their shoes has been a real strength that has carried me through.

KATE GRIGGS

Being able to listen is such a valuable component in communicating. Dyslexic actress Whoopi Goldberg is one of only twelve people in history to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Academy and Tony Award, collectively known as the EGOT. She says: “When you can't read like everyone else, you learn to listen differently. That's communication, too.” It's not just actors and actresses who use their high levels of emotional intelligence to communicate and connect powerfully with their audience. Politicians do it, too. Here's Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, a member of the cabinet in the UK government, to explain how his Dyslexic Thinking helps him to do what he does.

I can definitely see where your Dyslexic Thinking skills are. Connecting the dots, being able to see the big picture, emotional intelligence, as we've touched on, but also communication skills. I know that you've talked a lot about how that's something that you really value and think is very important for who you are and how you operate as a a politician and a minister.

PETER KYLE

It's essential. It's essential to the to the role of a politician, is being able to communicate, but that goes both ways. And it's also essential to be able to listen and to sense, to understand a room. And all of those things, I think, I have excelled at.

KATE GRIGGS

Empathy and being able to listen is also a valuable asset in business. As Richard Branson explains, it creates better leaders and can spark the next successful business idea.

RICHARD BRANSON

I think dyslexics are much better listeners, are much better at drawing on other people, and as a result I think they're they're better leaders. And you know, by learning from other people you're going to be able to achieve much more than thinking you know everything yourself, because there's just so many gems of ideas that you can pick up.

KATE GRIGGS

It's amazing what you can learn just by listening, isn't it? Here are three key takeaways from this section. One, dyslexics use their high level of emotion intelligence to listen carefully to others. Two, they're able to tap into their Dyslexic Thinking skill of connecting to read the room and hear what's not being said. And three, this helps them connect more deeply with people and communicate more authentically.

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What really makes dyslexics amazing communicators is our passion and curiosity. We love learning new things. And the energy and passion we use to do it inspires others.

It’s no surprise then that Kate finds that many of our most loved TV presenters are dyslexic, including Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Anderson Cooper, David Olusoga, Bear Grylls and Ben Fogle.

   How to tap into your passion and curiosity

Timing: 8 minutes

Kate shares insight from the world’s most passionate communicators, including space scientist, Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock; chef and campaigner, Jamie Oliver and BBC Wildlife presenter, Megan McCubbin, and finds their passion and curiosity helps inspire us all to care about topics they love.

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KATE GRIGGS

The fourth reason why dyslexics make powerful communicators is dyslexics are passionate and curious, the Dyslexic Thinking skill of exploring. What really makes dyslexics amazing communicators is our passion and curiosity. We love learning new things, and the energy and passion we use to do it inspires others.

Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock's infectious energy and skill in communicating has made even the most complex concepts of space, faraway galaxies and black holes easy for all of us to understand. As well as being a brilliant space scientist, she has made an incredible career out of communicating on TV through the BBC's Sky at Night and to kids at thousands of events in schools up and down the country. In this way, she's able to pass on her passion and curiosity to millions of us around the world and inspire the next generation of explorers.

DAME MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK

I'm fascinated by everything, an ongoing curiosity. And that's what drove me into space science in the first place. When I go out and see kids, I like to get them to have a desire to aspire, to have a big crazy dream and see where it leads them. And so that's why I do so much science communication, going out and and speaking to kids. I think I've seen over 450,000 people in the last 18 years. And a couple of weeks ago to celebrate British Science Week, I saw 50,000 kids in a week. It was knackering.

KATE GRIGGS

Wow.

DAME MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK

Some of it was online, some of it was live. But also it's the storytelling as well. Because when you go out and see a group of kids and you want to inspire them, what stories can you tell? What can you tell them about the science, to sort of draw them in and make them curious and make them want to join us and find out things themselves?

KATE GRIGGS

Yes. Because science is all about imagination, isn't it? It isn't about the boring facts and figures. Some of those things are important, of course, but it's all about imagination and seeing what could be, not what is.

DAME MAGGIE ADERIN-POCOCK

Yes. And what I love telling the kids is, there's so much we don't know and so many challenges we still have to face. My favourite one is that we don't know what 94% of the universe is made of. We know what 6% of the universe is made of, because it interacts with electromagnetic waves. It interacts with light. And so we can see that the other 94%, we don't know what it is. And so I like to inspire kids to think outside the box. What could it be? Why doesn't it interact with light? You know, ask them, sort of get them to grapple with these questions and inspire the next generation of curious scientists.

KATE GRIGGS

Like Maggie, many of our most loved TV presenters are dyslexic, and tap into their passion and curiosity for subjects they love to pass it on to others. Whether it's CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper sharing the complexities of international affairs, or the BBC's David Olusoga sharing his love of history, or explorers Bear Grylls and Ben Fogle sharing their love of the outdoors.

In the UK, the BBC produce world-renowned natural history programs, and many dyslexics tap into their curiosity for the natural world to communicate its wonder to a worldwide audience, including dyslexic presenters Hamza Yassin and Megan McCubbin.

MEGAN MCCUBBIN

I think dyslexic people have a curious mind by nature. We're fascinated by things. For me, it's living things. I want to understand about it. I'm just a bit nosy. I like, you know, sticking my nose into a ladybird's business and figuring out what it's up to. And if I can kind of get someone else to do that and love ladybirds as much as I do, then that's kind of a win.

KATE GRIGGS

As a brilliant science communicator, Megan is not just able to use her curiosity and passion to explain the natural world. She's also able to tap into her empathy to feel things deeply, something that many dyslexics excel at. That combination of curiosity, empathy, and insight helps her to inspire her audience to care deeply about those issues, too.

MEGAN MCCUBBIN

My main job, I suppose, as a science communicator… and that involves digesting lots of new science. It could be about climate change. It could be about biodiversity loss. It could be biodiversity plus. Not as often as I would like it to be about that, but it could be about a whole range of different things. And it's my job to digest that information and kind of reorganise it in my brain, and try to get a new audience to care about it as much as I do. So I try using my Dyslexic Thinking to engage audiences, empower them, motivate them, to make the world a little bit of a better place.

But I was always fascinated by things. I wanted to know how they worked, why they worked, what they were up to. And then as I kind of matured as a scientist, it was also about how to protect it. Because when you love something so much, you quickly become aware of the threats that that faces, and then it becomes more about tackling those threats in order to protect it. My love of natural history has always been there. I think, you know, there is a massive connection with dyslexic minds to, as you said, exploring, but also empathy.

And I've got a lot of empathy. I'm always told that I'm perhaps too empathetic, especially when it comes to animals. You know, I have big emotions when I watch the big, big gorgeous documentaries that Sir David presents. I feel a lot of empathy for their situations and climate change and I feel that weight on myself. I suppose that's kind of what motivates me to do what I do, is because of that heightened sense of empathy perhaps, but also that kind of curiosity about life.

KATE GRIGGS

It's not just in the natural world that dyslexic communicators excel. It's in the kitchen, too. Jamie Oliver's love of food and skill in communicating has made even the most complex recipe simple and easy for most of us to have a go at in our own kitchens. In this way, he's able to pass on his passion and curiosity to millions of us around the world.

JAMIE OLIVER

My main goal is to get people cooking and empowered. And whether it's through fun or or romance, or ‘you can do it’ or ‘this could work for you, just imagine your life with this’ and simplicity and breaking it down. And I've gone to start recipes that could be just quite good, but just breaking it down into a way that feels more graphic and simple and ‘oh, that's how you do it. Oh, that's what a portion of veg is. Oh my god, I got five portions of veg in that one meal and it's still scrumptious and lovely and indulgent and delicious.’

So there's this kind of three-dimensional way that you can make something really sexy. And also that same recipe will mean different things to different people, because they're absorbing it in different ways. So for me personally, the set, the recipe, how it's taught, how it's presented, the cameras, how many cameras, the lenses, the close-ups, the music, the graphics… and if you fight, like really fight fight fight, then hopefully your show will be better than the next person's.

KATE GRIGGS

It's so true, isn't it? Everything about the way Jamie chooses to communicate passes on his passion for cooking and makes it simple and easy for the rest of us to have a go. Here are three key takeaways from this section. One, what often makes dyslexics amazing communicators is our passion and curiosity. Two, we love learning new things. And three, the energy and passion we use to do it inspires others.

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The combination of being able to make sense of the bigger picture, simplify complex ideas, use our emotional intelligence and inspire people with our passion and curiosity means dyslexics are great at engaging hearts and minds.

We know how to entertain, inspire, motivate and influence people.

Hear how this skill has shaped pivotal parts of history, through dyslexic thinkers like Winston Churchill and John F Kennedy, plus Muhammad Ali. And how dyslexic thinkers are tapping into it today, including politician and member of the British Government, Peter Kyle; entrepreneur and changemaker Simon Griffiths and iconic changemaker, Erin Brockovich.

   Learning to engage hearts and minds

Timing: 17 minutes

Learn the techniques top dyslexic communicators use to engage hearts and minds and connect deeply with their audience.

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KATE GRIGGS

The final reason why dyslexics make powerful communicators is… dyslexics engage hearts and minds. The dyslexic thinking skills of communicating and connecting. The combination of being able to make sense of the bigger picture, simplify complex ideas, use our emotional intelligence, and inspire people with our passion and curiosity means we are great at engaging hearts and minds.

We know how to entertain, inspire, motivate, and influence people. It's these exact skills that dyslexic communicators have drawn on throughout time to shape pivotal parts of history.

Famously, Winston Churchill used his dyslexic communication skills to rally a nation on the brink of defeat in 1940. When France had fallen to Nazi Germany and the British were evacuated at Dunkirk, he delivered his famous speech, "We shall fight them on the beaches", saying, “We shall go on to the end. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender”.

What Winston Churchill recognised was the power of language to lead, to engage hearts and minds and to galvanise people to achieve what seemed unachievable. Churchill said, "The art of communication is the language of leadership".

Another dyslexic communicator who understood the power of language to lead was John F. Kennedy. At 43, he became America's youngest ever president. His dyslexic communication skills helped bring about a thaw in the Cold War and inspired a nation to go further than man had ever gone before by landing on the moon.

He said, "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard". Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest communicators of all time, knew exactly how to use his dyslexic thinking skills of connecting and communicating to engage hearts and minds, including his own.

His positive self-talk built a core of self-belief that was undefeatable, with lines like “if my mind can conceive it, if my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it”. When it came to communicating, he was as quick with his wit and words as he was with his gloves and his feet. And he used this dyslexic strength to defeat opponents even before he got into the ring.

Most people will know that before his unforgettable showdown with George Foreman at the Rumble in the Jungle, he said, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands can't hit what his eyes can't see". But what you might not know is Muhammad's ability to win the hearts and minds of the people in the areas where he fought had a dramatic impact on fights, just like this one. I'll let his wife Lonnie Ali explain.

LONNIE ALI

He did travel and they would choose spots that, you know, to bring him to people that would not ordinarily have the opportunity to see him fight. And they were in some of the poor areas of the world, you know, in places in Indonesia when he did the thriller in Manila, in Zaire. Of course, he did a lot of fights in Europe, in Germany, London. Um, but he always he always loved going into the surrounding cities areas of where he was camped for a fight, like in Africa when he was in Zaire.

In fact, that that that fight got delayed I think a month or six weeks because George got cut during training one day during sparring practice and, um, so they had to delay the fight. So that gave him more time. But Muhammad see that's what I'm saying that to him that was not an obstacle.

But most athletes go, "Oh my god, I sort of primed myself to be at my peak at this point, you know, and now I'm going to lose that edge and whatever, you know, I'm not going to be able to compete at my top level, you know, of performance". He never thought like that. He thought, "Oh, okay. This gives me more time to, you know, go out and meet the people".

So, he went out and it really created a little, you know, fan base. I shouldn't say little, it was huge. He sort of melded with the people, you know, he went out and he he'd visit and he'd go and, you know, become one with them.

So, by the time that fight came that night, that whole country was yelling for him. He had won them over. I mean, it was the sheer energy of the people who surrounded that ring that, you know, I don't know, that was as much a force as his boxing skills and his ability to, as you say, adapt as dyslexics can do and overcome obstacles.

Because George Foreman had flattened everybody who was in front of him before Muhammad, you know, but Muhammad realised that if he went a certain distance, George had never, nobody had lasted in the ring that long with George, but that energy that came from those people that he had taken the time to get to know, to become one with, and they, you know, they felt like Muhammad belonged to them, too.

He was fighting for them. That gave him more, um, energised him more I think and gave him more ability to overcome an opponent, you know, because he felt like he was not just fighting for himself it wasn't just for this title he was fighting for everybody around him.

KATE GRIGGS

Muhammad may have been the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time inside the ring but he was also a heavyweight campaigner outside the ring using his dyslexic thinking skills of connecting and communicating to fight discrimination and campaign for black rights.

Later he became an ambassador for peace too. And in those times, he wasn't just fighting for himself, he was fighting for everybody around him too and for a fairer society where everyone could be respected and valued for who they were.

Environmental activist, Erin Brockovich, is another great example of a brilliant dyslexic communicator and connector. Using her dyslexic communication skills, she won the hearts and minds of the people of Hinckley and persuaded them that if they got behind her, they could beat the corporate giant that was trying to silence them and went on to win a landmark lawsuit.

ERIN BROCKOVICH

So, what happened for me with these people and what I connected to, they were always being silenced. Nobody believed them. I did. And what we did for each other, I believed in them, and they believed in me. Was unbelievable. And what I learned in Hinckley was kind of my tools and my trade and what I was operating from. It was my instinct.

I learned that if I listened to my gut and I used those instincts, I would naturally logically work my way through an issue. And I learned that one plus one is not two. One plus one is a thousand or more. When I got one and I got one more and I got one more, we began to leverage ourselves in numbers. So, my leverage became the people. We helped each other.

KATE GRIGGS

It's important to remember that to begin with speaking up and speaking out, especially in front of an audience full of people, can be a dyslexic's worst nightmare. Taking us right back to that moment in the classroom when we were asked to read out loud. That was certainly the case for me.

Eight years ago, I stood on the TED stage at Brighton Dome. No notes, 18 minutes, a huge audience, to share my talk, the creative brilliance of dyslexia. I was terrified of public speaking. But I faced my fears because I wanted the world to see that dyslexic thinking was not just valuable, it was vital for the future.

Back then, Made By Dyslexia was just beginning. I had no idea that one talk would help spark a global movement. Today, eight years later, I'm so proud of what we've built together. A community that's changing perceptions, inspiring action, and teaching the world the brilliance of dyslexic thinking. So, it's good to remember that the moments that scare you most can become the ones that change everything.

Here's the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, to explain how he overcame his fear of public speaking with the help from his boss and mentor, Anita Roddick, who was also an amazing dyslexic communicator and went on to speak on behalf of the British government at summits and international gatherings all over the world.

PETER KYLE

I allowed her to push me very, very far out of my comfort zone. She came up to my desk one time and said, "Uh, how you doing?" And I said, "I'm terrified all the time". That wasn't the word I use. And she said, she said, "Why?" Because you're making me do all these speeches for you. The highest paid person in the company sending out the lowest paid and youngest person in the company to do speeches.

So, to Rotary Clubs, old people's homes, um, schools. I said, "You just made me do a school speech last week to Chichester High School for Girls". And I was wolf whistled. I said, "This is just the most awful thing in the world". I said, "I'm terrified all the time". I was like 19 at the time.

She said, "One day you are going to stand up in front of a group of people and the fear of standing up in front of people will be totally absent and all of that energy that you were wasting will be focused on looking at people, gauging their views on things, and you will just be able to interact directly with them and it'll be between you and them".

She says, "You'll thank me for it one day". And of course, you know, she died just before I was elected an MP, and I never got to thank her for it, but she always knew.

KATE GRIGGS

Like Peter and I, you might find that stepping outside your comfort zone means you'll discover you have a flair for communicating powerfully with people, and you'll never look back. Someone else who stepped outside their comfort zone to communicate powerfully was Simon Griffiths, founder of the groundbreaking toilet paper brand, Who Gives a Crap?

They're on a mission to provide access to clean water and toilets for everyone and donate 50% of their profits to nonprofit organizations that build toilets and improve sanitation in developing countries.

He spent 50 hours on the toilet live online to crowdfund his first 50,000 rolls of toilet paper. It was a viral phenomenon. Not only did the stunt raise awareness of the bigger humanitarian problem he was trying to fix, it built a loyal base of customers who believed in his mission and wanted to help solve it.

Both in the short term by helping to crowdfund the 50,000 needed for storage and production and in the long term to tackle the bigger mission of making sure everyone has access to clean sanitation and clean water. Here's Simon to explain more.

SIMON GRIFFITHS

We were trying to see if there are enough people out there that believed in what we were doing for us to spend what we thought would be the next 5 years of our life. It's ended up being, you know, a lot longer than that and will continue to be a lot longer than that.

Investing in in turning this into everything it can be. Um, and so we needed $50,000 to kind of get started and place our first production run. Um, I had about $700 in my bank account at that point in time. Uh, and probably the bigger problem was that if we placed that first production order, it would give us 50,000 rolls of toilet paper, which was enough to fill the shared house that I was living in from, you know, floor to ceiling with toilet paper the entire way through the house.

So, we kind of needed a way to get the capital, but also to find our first 10,000 customers. And this was just as crowdfunding was starting to become kind of a known household sort of concept. Um, and we said, this is the perfect idea to try and crowdfund and see if we can get people to kind of pre-purchase our first $50,000 worth of product.

And so, we went about to launch the crowdfunding campaign and Jay Hahn and I shot the video together. When we watched it back, we realised it was just super boring. Like, we were kind of, you know, crowdfunding probably the most boring product ever. It is toilet paper after all. And so, we said to ourselves, you know, we're going to have to do something different in order to get people's attention. And we ended up working with a marketing agency and one of the people that worked on that campaign, um, was called Lach Hall, who now runs, uh, Vacation, a sunscreen brand in the US. And he's a brilliant kind of viral thinker.

And as we were kind of getting ready to shoot the campaign, I think we were like three or four days out, he said, "You know what? I've got the idea that's going to really take this from where we are to 100, and you have to sit on a toilet on a live web feed until you've pre-sold the first $50,000 worth of product". And as soon as I heard it, I was like, "Yes, I'm all in". Like, this is the, you know, the perfect idea.

And after 50 of the most horrible, never ever to be repeated, hours of my life, we eventually hit that pre-sales campaign target and we're in business, which was a pretty amazing moment. I think we ended up doing about 2.5 million social media impressions and it was just as the share button had been added to Facebook.

And so, I remember opening Facebook and my whole feed was just a picture of me sitting on the toilet that my friends were kind of posting over and over again, which was totally terrifying. Um, but an amazing way to get started.

KATE GRIGGS

100% social media connects the world, giving us the power to build communities or tribes instantly. Simon’s stunt enabled him to engage the hearts and minds of prospective customers and instantly build a tribe of mini philanthropists who could help him make change happen.

But in today's oversaturated media world with messages coming at us constantly on every channel and device, being able to create communications that cut through the noise and truly resonate with your community or tribe is absolutely vital. You need a clear, compelling narrative that creates an emotional response, one that people want to share. Bold and empowering.

One great example of dyslexic thinking at play is here at Made By Dyslexia. Our charity is run by dyslexic thinkers. Our mission is to help the world understand and value dyslexic thinking and to empower it in every home, school, and workplace.

We started out bold with a risqué launch film, The Dyslexic Sperm Bank, that was unlike anything any dyslexia charity had created. It creatively conveyed the message that dyslexic thinking is a strength by featuring images of famous dyslexics. It was a powerful piece of storytelling that was watched by 70 million people in just three days and put the charity firmly on the map.

In just eight years, we've built our tribe to be the biggest global community of dyslexics and their allies who stand alongside us to create change and amplify everything we do. Using the power of our team, our partners, and our incredible community, we engage hearts and minds.

Here are three key takeaways from this section. One, dyslexics know how to communicate in a way that engages hearts and minds. Two, we know how to entertain, inspire, motivate, and influence people. And three, we understand the need to make bold disruptive communications, to get noticed and cut through the noise.

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We asked master communicator, co-founder of Axios and co-author of best-selling book, Smart Brevity, Roy Schwartz, for his top tips on using your Dyslexic Thinking skills to communicate powerfully – with Smart Brevity.

   How to communicate powerfully

Timing: 2 minutes

Watch this video to learn top tips from Roy Schwartz, co-founder of Axios and co-author of best-selling book, Smart Brevity.

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Transcript

KATE GRIGGS

We asked Roy Schwarz for his top tips on using your dyslexic thinking skills to communicate powerfully with Smart Brevity.

ROY SCHWARZ

I would say one, uh, say it out loud. So, what you and I talked about earlier, when you read something that you're about to send, an email or an important report, and you read it out loud, it will tell you if you're using good enough language, basic enough language, is it memorable? Is it sharp? Is it concise? All of that will come through when you read it out loud.

Uh, two is have a specific person in mind as the audience. So, especially when you're writing an email that's going to go out to… I write to the entire company, but I'll usually think of one person, not the most well-informed person, not the least-informed person, but someone who represents the majority of the organisation.

And I try and think of it as if I'm talking to that person. And so, does my writing does that email in this case, will it resonate with them? Will they… will they feel like I'm writing it for them?

And will they want to read it, um, and be able to get through it? And then when you go through it, is it concise enough? Have you cut out all the unnecessary language?

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Of course, everyone has the ability to communicate well, but what this course has shown is that dyslexics tap into the skills they are hardwired with to approach communicating differently.

So, if you’re a dyslexic thinker, now is the time to tap into your Dyslexic Thinking skills to communicate powerfully.

If you’re not a dyslexic thinker, we hope you’ve learned more about the Dyslexic Thinking skills that can really turbocharge your communication.

   Conclusion

Timing: 2 minutes

Watch this video, in which Kate summarises all the reasons why dyslexics make powerful communicators.

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Transcript

KATE GRIGGS

So, there you have it, the five reasons why dyslexics make powerful communicators. We make sense of the big picture. We are great at simplifying. We have high levels of emotional intelligence. We're passionate and curious. And lastly, we engage hearts and minds.

Of course, everyone has the ability to communicate well, but what this course has shown is that dyslexics tap into the skills they are hardwired with to approach communicating differently.

So, if you're a dyslexic thinker, now is the time to tap into your dyslexic thinking skills to communicate powerfully. And if you're not a dyslexic thinker, we hope you've learned more about the dyslexic thinking skills that can really turbocharge your communication.

Thanks so much for taking this course. Please share the dyslexic courses with your community, with your friends and family, because each ripple, however small, will lead to a sea change in how dyslexic thinking is understood and harnessed across the world.

Be sure to check out the links and resources on the Communicators Dyslexic U course page. You'll find lots more useful info to help you on your journey.

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Now that you’ve completed the course, it’s time to try the knowledge check.

The quiz has 8 questions. It has a pass grade of 70% and provides you with feedback depending upon the mark you achieve. You can take the quiz as many times as you would like until you pass.

If you have completed all the elements of this course's learning and successfully pass the knowledge check, your digital badge will be sent to you via the email address you used to enrol on the course (usually within 36 hours). You can then add the badge to your LinkedIn profile as well as sharing it on other social media accounts.

Inspired by everything you’ve learned?

Ready to use Dyslexic Thinking to turbocharge your communication skills?

Here are further resources to help you on your way:

• Listen to interviews with inspiring dyslexic communicators in our Lessons In Dyslexic Thinking podcasts: Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Erin Brockovich, Stephanie Ruhle, Richard Branson, and many more.
• Learn more about your Dyslexic Thinking in Kate’s books: This Is Dyslexia and Xtraordinary People (for kids)