Why We Needed the 'Dyslexic Thinking' Skill

It’s been over three months since we were given the option to add ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ to our profile skills.

The addition of the ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ to the in-built skills list is the product of a collaboration between LinkedIn, the global dyslexia charity Made by Dyslexia, and the UK entrepreneur and Virgin media group founder Sir Richard Branson. Branson has been a vocal supporter of neurodiverse and dyslexic talent in business for well over a decade, and the move has been hailed by many as a powerful push towards neurodiverse inclusivity in the business sector.

It’s amazing progress in the direction of inclusivity. But what has this meant for the wider global dyslexia community?

There has been a general feeling for many years in the employment world that being neurodivergent may have an impact on your career. Many people who are neurodivergent have hidden the fact from employers and colleagues for years, believing that it may have some knock-on effects that limit their potential.

Some may feel that it could hamper them in pursuit of a promotion if managers consider it a ‘liability’; some people will choose not to disclose it on applications or at interviews believing that it may make hiring managers see them as lesser.

So, this small, yet powerful move from LinkedIn serves as a statement as well as an appreciation. It shows that it’s not something that needs hiding any more.

It celebrates and demonstrates the diversity of the global workforce and the capabilities of people with dyslexia, and shows that people with dyslexia can succeed in any role - not just the ‘creative’ or ‘entrepreneurial’ ones that we tend to lead with when we talk about dyslexic career goals.

But it’s not only a movement towards appreciating the unique skills and talents that many people with dyslexia have and can learn. It’s a move towards reconsidering how we work, too – and promoting the idea that neurodiverse teams are stronger, as opposed to ‘just as good’. It makes us appreciate that there’s a place for dyslexic thinking in the content we create and work we do: is it accessible? Does it work for everybody or just some? And are there enough neurodivergent thinkers in our teams and approval processes to make these calls?

Politicians, CEOs and directors have added dyslexic thinking to their LinkedIn skill sets over the past three months. The phrase has made it into dictionary-approved vernacular, courtesy of Dictionary.com.

But the real power of the move lies in the everyday usage of the term; how many people who don’t have high-profile, thought-leader roles have taken ownership of it and used it to describe how they work. Making it self-assignable and available as a skill on platforms like this means that dyslexic thinking stays visible, applicable and important in all kinds of roles - not just the ones that have headline potential.

And in that we make a much bigger step towards widespread accessibility and inclusivity, promoting the notion that dyslexic thinking is everywhere in the business world, not just in the C-suite or creative pool.

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