Do left handers do business differently?
Anything Lefthanded's previous owners - Keith and Lauren (both left-handers of course!) - found over the years that left-handers in business do think differently and tackle problems in different ways. Our own surveys and the results of various research projects do seem to indicate that there are more successful left-handed entrepreneurs and business people than the percentage of lefthanders in the population would suggest.
| We think that people like Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company) and Bill Gates (Microsoft) succeeded as entrepreneurs in part because being left handed encouraged them to challenge convention and think differently to come up with creative solutions to problems. |
In recent years, psychologists have hypothesised that, rather than being a sign of awkwardness or evil, being left-handed may actually be a sign of a strong right brain and, as such, superior language skills and creativity. There are certain cognitive domains where left-handed people do seem to excel. One such area is called "divergent thinking," or the ability to generate new ideas based on existing information which must be pretty useful if you are running a business. There are plenty of examples of successful business people that bear out these ideas.
5 left handed traits that help in business:
- High IQ
- Creative and “divergent” thinking (Research conducted by the American Journal of Psychology)
- Multitasking (https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6212972.stm)
- Better memory (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lefties-may-possess-super/)
- Money making (https://www.pewresearch.org/2006/08/08/male-lefties-have-more-of-the-right-stuff/)
It doesn't really prove a point to trot out a list of famous lefties as there are sure to be many more famous right-handers who have been successful in business as well, but here are a few more well-known examples:
- Steve Jobs (Apple)
- Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)
- Oprah Winfrey (TV presenter and billionaire businesswoman)
- Steve Forbes (Forbes Magazine)
- David Rockefeller
- Lou Gerstner (former head of IBM)
Comments 12
However it is very hard to get known internationally, I don't sell a product for export, it's a service only obtainable here - the nearest comparable would be tourism.
I studied for both a degree and a Masters in Linguistics and interestingly, there is a theory that (on average) women are better at languages than (the average of all) men because the two halves of the brain are more closely connected. Next on the list are gay and/or left-handed men and men with the 'accountant'/'higher maths' type brains, generally find language learning the hardest - only a theory!
Yes, there does seem to some link between left-handedness, dyslexia and various other learning difficulties. I wil email you direct about you idea.
Love being a lefty. My mother, sister, two brothers and I all lefties. I make it my business to invite others into my lefthanded world. How? Designs lefthanded card, brochures and insist that others when using my computer to return the mouse to it's lefthanded position. I love celebrating lefthanded day with my summer youth participants. On August 13th I reserve the front seats for lefthanded participants. They all feel so very special. We need more lefthand desk in the classrooms.
Power to the lefties....
Laura Priscilla
Anice
Emanuela
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I think that you're on to something. I'm a proud left-hander and have been a Quality Engineering and Change Management consultant for several years. I have noticed that a large number of my left-handed clients do indeed think differently (or correctly).
This basis often dictates the methods needed for training and may explain why some of the more "traditional" consultants fail to achieve results.
I would be more than willing to help others with process improvement via an online forum if such a forum existed
Philip
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I'm from Montenegro, I run a travel agency for 1 years. I am left handed, as well as my sister, my daughter, my nephew, my sister in law, and also my late grandmother was also one of us. If I can help anyway, please let me know.
Regards from Montenegro, Stanka
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Cannot wait to see what you come up with!
Amy, Mississippi
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Yes we do think differently. I am looking forward to talking to a group of people that think like I do.
Rita
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Business consulting, economic development,energy efficiency. I like the idea of a left-handed business network.
Bill
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Hello, I too believe thinking outside the box is what has gotten me ahead. I have published my own local newspaper, taught myself computer graphics and made a business from it. I also do freelance writing and own an online business consulting site as well as an online gift shop. I would be happy to help fellow lefties to maximize their business and give advice.
Toni
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I would be interested in joining this club. I own a medical transcription company in New York, USA.
Linda
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I found your article very interesting, and personally I feel very strongly that lefties have a very creative side to them that is an asset in the changing world of business. I am currently CEO of a management consultancy, and I personally specialise in change management, business redesign & turnaround, and the people side of mergers & acquisitions. I am also a specialist in international Reward & Finance. I would be interested in assisting in any way that I can. I have studied at Harvard Business School, Fairfax and the OU.
I am an active member of the Academy of International Business and have published two books to date on Change Management. Do let me know if you need any other details.
Dr Rosalind
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A good friend, also a leftie and a member of the LHC, and I are currently starting a small partnership business of our own (teaching folk dance in primary schools) and are both steaming into uncharted waters as neither of us have any business experience whatsoever!
However, having studied the strengths and weaknesses of left-handers for many years I hopefully am aware of ways in which we might run aground (e.g. strengths = seeing the big picture,solving problems creatively: weaknesses = missing important details, easily becoming distracted!) so hopefully will make a success of our venture. If I have time I will record some of the high and low points of our journey which might be of value to others. One that springs immediately to mind is my frustration at becoming swamped in the minutiae of regulations whist all I wanted to do was teach folk dance to kids (big picture).
Any thoughts?
Paul
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We will be putting all your ideas together and adding more of our own and will do an update for the next newsletter.
Keith
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