Are you an intrapreneur for your organization? No, that is not a typo. Intrapreneuring is acting as if you are an entrepreneur while working for a traditional large organization. Take a moment to visualize what it would be like if you were the owner of the area within your organization that you currently run. What would be your approach to the task you have and to the employees who currently report to you? If you ‘owned’ your area what changes would you make?
What are the characteristics that make entrepreneurs different from large organization executives or administrators? Let’s look at just a few.
- Entrepreneurs take direct responsibility for the quality of the end product. There is no other department to point the finger at – the owner bears the ultimate responsibility
- Entrepreneurs get great ideas and act on them, turning them into effective end-products that bring a return on the investment
- Entrepreneurs take calculated risks
The innovations that come from entrepreneurs make the larger organizations sit up and take notice. Something that is done a certain way ‘because that’s the way we’ve always done it’ gets pushed out of the way when an entrepreneur says, ‘Here’s something that works better, costs less, and has other features that provide enhanced capabilities.’
Operating within an organization with an entrepreneurial mind-set is what intrapreneuring is all about. What differences would show up in your part of the organization if you took direct responsibility for the end-product from your group (even if it is something that goes to another part of the organization), if you took insights and ideas that you have about your area and acted on them (without being told) to turn them into more effective procedures, or systems, or products, if you took calculated risks that it would work and moved ahead with your ideas?
Something to think about . . .
If you are intrapreneuring within a traditional organization, what is it like? How did you start it? Do you have an owner’s mind-set within your organization? If so, where do you find it? I’d love to hear from you about your experiences with your intrapreneuring or your thoughts about what it might mean if you tried it. If you want to pursue doing some intrepreneuring, please send me the questions this raises for you.
Feel free to share this Emerge! Blog post with others you think might enjoy it. When you do, please include this paragraph. Chrysalis Leadership Coaching is a leadership coaching and consulting firm in North Carolina, working with entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to develop their inner resources and skills to move to new levels of leadership. We approach every client as an individual with strengths and growth areas that can be magnified with the appropriate techniques. Ginny Blair is a catalyst for individuals and teams within organizations to discover and develop their inner leadership qualities and apply them in growing and prospering. Ginny helps to identify and expand individual abilities and support greater effectiveness in life and leadership. She is a certified coach and organizational development consultant who creates a supportive and encouraging environment for personal and professional growth.