An intrapreneur has many of the same skills as an entrepreneur, but prefers to work within an organisation, explains Lynda Shaw
The current rapid pace of change means that agile, solutions-oriented intrapreneurs are now finally gaining some of the recognition they deserve and are becoming highly valued within organisations. There is a problem, though: 83% of executives say curiosity is encouraged a great deal at their company, but only 52% of employees agree.
Why Are Intrapreneurs So Desirable to Employers?
Intrapreneurs are key players who, when thriving, are good for profit, performance, the brand, work culture, internal and external stakeholders, partnerships, staff morale, and future-proofing an organisation. They develop initiatives, explore solutions, look at problems with a different perspective, and adopt the opposite mindset of passive employees. Intrapreneurs have ideas that innovate an organisation. They increase employee engagement, retention, and productivity, drive motivation, and develop competitive advantage. They can deal with rapidly changing marketplaces and develop cutting-edge solutions. They enjoy empowering others and making them feel valued, too.
The Psychology of an Intrapreneur
We used to believe that individuals were born with enterprising, risk-taking skills, but we now know that these skills can be learnt. Intrapreneurs like to operate in a more relaxed space and to have an element of play and curiosity. They enjoy freedom and autonomy. If they are staring out of the windows, let them. They need a chance to play around with ideas. Their mindset, beliefs, attitude, and thinking processes can help determine outcomes.
Intrapreneurs may be more cautious about financial risk than entrepreneurs, so having the boundaries and safety of an organisation gives them the freedom to fly, be innovative, see the bigger picture, adapt quickly, and unlock their hidden potential.
How Can You Spot a True Intrapreneur?
If you are chatting to one, they are often the ones who come up with ideas. They come into their own when issues crop up in the organisation; you can almost see them rolling up their sleeves. They are rarely reactive and rarely magnify the negatives, instead looking for solutions independently. Sometimes they are lone wolves, but more often than not they just need some space to develop their ideas. They like to be part of a team. They think differently and don’t see parameters as much as others.
They are less worried about their ego yet have passion, vision, ambition, and clarity of their role and value, mission, and purpose. They tend to be mindful of others and how their ideas might impact them. They want to make a difference for good and want to belong. They have high levels of emotional intelligence and are self-motivated. They have a good attitude to work, although they may be prone to working too hard.
How to Support an Intrapreneur
It takes specific management skills to handle an intrapreneur, and the organisation’s leadership and culture have to be good. Intrapreneurs want to bring up ideas without fear of judgment and need to feel safe enough to fail at times and supported to be creative. They need freedom, not a requirement to clock in and out. Instead, they need the ability to present their ideas to get investment and funding and to bring people on board. Give them the resources they need to progress their ideas.
Whilst creating a supportive and flexible environment, leaders need to set some goals and have guidelines, feedback sessions, and KPIs, but then let them get on with it. Rewards are important, but different rewards are important for different people. Some may wish for ownership of projects, or to help them job-craft the role they want; some may want recognition or benefits. As employees are increasingly asking themselves, “Do I matter?”, take the time to notice the innovators in your organisation. The people who could have an incredibly positive impact on the business are already working for y
