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Thinking outside the box: how to unleash your superpower – Kate Griggs, Founder, Made by Dyslexia

About This Episode

Albert Einstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Keira Knightly, Pablo Picasso, and Sir Richard Branson may be notable in their own right, but they also share the condition of dyslexia.

For years it’s been portrayed as an obstacle but for Michael’s guest, Kate Griggs, it presents the opportunity of a superpower for life.

Kate is a campaigner and the founder of Made by Dyslexia, a leading voice in global advocacy for what she calls the superpower of dyslexia, now in its fifth year. That means disrupting the world’s thinking and campaigning for the unique and important skills of people with dyslexia.

It’s a challenge that Kate has made a lifelong mission and is driven by her own experiences of growing up and the difference identifying a dyslexian made to her own education. With a TED talk that has garnered almost 400,000 views, and Kate’s latest book, This is Dyslexia, she aims to redefine and reshape how it’s shaped our past and how harnessing its powers is vital to our future.

Kate Griggs, Founder, Made by Dyslexia

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Lockdown List

What is a book that has changed your life?

Two books have changed my life:

A Whole New Mind: why right brainers will rule the future by Dan Pink
Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor

When I was doing my research into Dyslexic Thinking skills these books both contributed to my lightbulb moment because they extol the virtues of “right-brained” thinking and its value in the future. ‘Right brained thinking’ is Dyslexic Thinking.

What are you watching at the moment?

This is Us. It’s such a beautiful isight into family dynamics and their strengths, weaknesses and twists. And the way it switches between the past, current and future is a really moving tale of how the balance within families changes over time… and why its’ important to value each other, and every minute.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Probably Erin Brockovich the consumer, environment activist who. She is dyslexic and despite only being educated as a legal clark she built and won a case against the giant Pacific Gas and Electricity getting compensation for thousands of people. I love seeing brave individuals taking on giants and winning…she believed in her cause, knew her end goal and just didn’t give up. It teaches us all that passion and purpose can win. It was made into a great movie too.

In one sentence, describe your ‘new normal’.

A world without standardised tests, where everyone (young and old) is valued for their individual strengths, not measured and compared to outdated norms.

What is your best tip for life?

Lean into your superpowers and delegate your kryptonite. When you do what you’re good at you love what you do, and your challenges will be someone else superpower. This is essential for dyslexics but great for any team.