Not All Dyslexia Looks the Same

A Guide for Leaders Who Want to Get the Best from Every Brain in the Room

Dyslexia doesn’t present in just one way. And yet, many workplaces still operate as if it does.

Some team members have a diagnosis. Others don’t — but have quietly developed workarounds for years. From missed typos to missed promotions, misunderstanding dyslexia often means underestimating sharp, creative thinkers simply because they process differently.

As a leader, you don’t need to diagnose. But you do need to understand that high performance doesn’t always look how you expect.

The Quiet Strategists

What’s happening:

They’re the team member who’s always prepared, never misses a detail — but often works late or declines help. Underneath, they may be working twice as hard to mask a difficulty processing dense text or written instructions.

What to look for:

• Emails that are over-edited, carefully worded, but take a long time to arrive.

• Hesitancy around fast-paced meetings or last-minute changes.

• Reluctance to delegate written tasks — even when they have the authority to.

Practical support:

• Send materials in advance: Give 24 hours’ lead time before meetings so there’s space to read and reflect.

• Normalise voice notes or brief calls: Let people choose how they check in.

• Model ‘good enough’: Share examples of imperfect but effective work, especially in high-trust environments.

The Verbal Visionaries

What’s happening:

They think on their feet. They’re brilliant in meetings, persuasive in person, but struggle to write a follow-up email or structure a long report. Their mind works quickly, but writing slows them down.

What to look for:

• Vague or disorganised emails that don’t reflect the insight they shared in the meeting.

• Avoidance of formal writing tasks, or delegating them when possible.

• Strong on-the-spot ideas, but anxiety when asked to “put it in writing.”

Practical support:

• Record strategy meetings: So their thinking doesn’t get lost between spoken and written forms.

• Pair them with a detail-oriented colleague: Let them lead direction, and others handle documentation.

• Offer templates or frameworks: A structure helps them focus on content, not format.

Rethinking Performance

Supporting dyslexic thinkers isn’t about lowering standards — it’s about building systems that don’t only reward one kind of brain.

High performers may need different tools:

• A sales lead who needs diagrams over spreadsheets.

• A finance manager who talks through a forecast before writing it.

• A project coordinator who excels with checklists but freezes with long briefs.

None of this signals a lack of competence. Quite the opposite — these are often your strategic thinkers, your intuitive planners, your big-picture people. When you build a culture that gives them room to work their way, they bring you their best thinking.

Final thought:

Great leadership isn’t about treating everyone the same. It’s about giving people what they need to thrive — and trusting that different paths can still lead to the same high standard.