Dyslexia doesn’t disqualify leaders—it creates them

Last month in the Oval Office, President Trump stated that people with learning disabilities should not be president, specifically calling out California Governor Gavin Newsom’s dyslexia. This wasn’t just misleading—it was harmful. Hearing the person in the highest office in the U.S. claim that dyslexia disqualifies someone from leadership sends a damaging message to the next generation.

One in five people have a learning and thinking difference like dyslexia and ADHD, and they battle stigma and misconceptions every day. Even so, hearing an accomplished dyslexic leader called “dumb” and a “low-IQ person” in front of the entire world can be deeply damaging.

Dyslexia isn’t new or rare. It’s a difference that impacts roughly 20% of the population. It also accounts for 80-90% of all learning disabilities. It affects reading and spelling, not intellectual ability or leadership. In fact, according to a report from Made By Dyslexia, at least one in three entrepreneurs are dyslexic. So when we suggest excluding dyslexic people from leadership, we would be excluding a massive share of talent. And as a dyslexic executive myself, I can say firsthand that my dyslexia has not held me back. It has helped me become a better leader.

NO ONE THINKS THE SAME

It should be understood by now that no two people learn or think the same way and that difference is not a deficit. Neurodiversity is in part what makes humans capable of leading, creating, and connecting in extraordinary ways. According to an Understood.org study, nearly half of people in the creative industry—including advertising, marketing, public relations, and media—identify as neurodivergent, which is significantly higher than the general population (31%). But prevalence isn’t the point. The real story is what dyslexic thinkers bring to leadership.

The world was not built to accommodate those with learning and thinking differences like dyslexia. Those living with it have to navigate these systems and develop new approaches to creative problem solving, big-picture thinking, and communication. The traits that can make school difficult are often the same ones that allow people to build companies.

Barbara Corcoran was a daydreaming, straight-D student who endured years of kids calling her dumb. She now runs a real estate empire worth millions, which she credits to her dyslexia. As she shared on LinkedIn, her dyslexia fueled her imagination, resilience, and empathy needed to become the “queen of New York real estate” and business mogul we know today.

Barbara’s fellow Shark Tank investor Daymond John struggled with reading and spelling in school, but identified early on that he thrived at the intersection of creative and analytical thinking. He leaned into these skills, which led him to create the hugely successful clothing line FUBU and launch his entrepreneurial career.

INCREASED AWARENESS

Governor Newsom’s career is proof that he can handle adversity. He’s spent more than 20 years in government as a dyslexic leader. And he’s certainly not the first dyslexic public servant. Some historians believe that presidents George Washington and Woodrow Wilson were dyslexic. Proof that how your brain processes information does not determine fitness of leadership.

In recent years, there’s been growing awareness of neurodiversity, especially among young people and in the workplace, but many myths and misperceptions still exist. According to the Neurodiversity at Work study we conducted with The Harris Poll in 2025, 70% of neurodivergent adults shared that they experience higher levels of stigma in the workplace. This has increased from 60% the previous year. Comments like those made this week certainly don’t help.

However, progress is underway. Companies are beginning to recognize neurodiversity as a competitive advantage. More organizations are building neuroinclusive hiring and leadership programs. Employers are learning that different ways of thinking drive innovation and growth, and brands are building products and campaigns that speak to the neurodivergent community.

EMBRACE THE DIFFERENCES

But real change requires action. It starts with leadership and is strengthened by education. And by embedding neuroinclusion into hiring practices, ways of working, and employee and business resource groups. It means leaning into what fuels both creativity and productivity: flexibility, autonomy, and teamwork. It also means moving from reactive to proactive accommodations, including universal design approaches that support all employees from the start.

But most of all, it means giving people the space to embrace their brain and lean into their superpowers.

I’m someone who has made my way up to the C-suite level in an organization dedicated to supporting people in my shoes. My leadership today is a direct result of the challenges I faced getting here and the gifts that my uniquely wired brain gives me. And for Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John, it’s the same. So why should this change for the role of presidency?

Leadership should not be defined by how easily someone reads or writes. It should be defined by vision, creativity, and the ability to solve problems. Dyslexia doesn’t prevent leadership. In many cases, it helps create it.

Nathan Friedman is co-president and chief marketing officer of Understood.org.