#61: Intrapreneurship in 31 steps - 17. Possess and Take Initiative

Possessing and taking initiative is the quality that helps us break free from all shackles, limitations, doubts, slowness, or restrictions that hold us back. To be successful, initiative must be action and process-oriented.

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Possessing and Taking Initiative is the underlying foundational quality of all Intrapreneurs.

Across everything we do, a segment of opportunities and challenges will be out in the open. It will be easy for us to notice, identify, and act on them.

However, a large part of your Intrapreneurial work will be available to you only if you are willing to make an effort to jump in and follow through. Consider these potential options that have often been forgotten, ignored, identified as unimportant, or put on the shelf. We hope the challenges or issues will disappear or not be overcome since they seem too complex to address or pursue. Or we wait for them to become someone else's problem.

To be effective, any initiative must have three parts:

1. Ideas: Big and bold dreams are a must. When exploring ideas, a natural tendency may be to ignore those that don't seem feasible but to gravitate towards safe ideas that seem implementable. Remember that our situations, leverage, or resources will shift, and what is once thought of as not possible can become very attainable under different conditions.
2. Process: Each person's process of implementing ideas can be different. However, as thinkers and initiators, intrapreneurs must have a method that works for them, which they continue to refine and improvise and use as a structure to gain the required support, learn through feedback, and move ahead.
3. Action: The greatest opportunities and possibilities will evade us when ideas are not implemented. Effective execution is the key to achieving results from any initiative. Otherwise, we may start and stay as an idea machine that doesn't produce results. Tangible results are the end we are after as Intrapreneurs. Not all ideas may turn out well, and that is okay. We must generate enough ideas to continuously generate differentiated value.

All three of the above must happen, even considering any challenges or barriers we face in taking the Initiative. We don't have to ignore the issues; looking beyond them and courageously pursuing possibilities will bring about change.

Ignore Organizational Boundaries and Hierarchies

To truly thrive as an Intrapreneur, never say, "It's not my job." It is crucial to note that for our initiatives to yield results, we must see and act beyond our organizational boundaries.

Your initial foundation is your skill sets, experiences, reporting structures, organizational separation, and role descriptions. They are there to build upon and not to constrain your ability to take Initiative, ideate, act, and create results.

We must still play nice in the sand as part of our teams and respect role-based access and information sharing, approvals, and controls in place. Those exist for good corporate governance. Being an Intrapreneur does not mean turning into a rebel who violates organizational controls. But those have no limits on how you can gather support and explore options for making your company more efficient, effective, and productive.

If our work can better the outcomes of another individual or team at another department, it is important to voice our opinions, suggest improvements, and raise our hands to lead.

How do you avoid chasing down the rabbit holes?

It is essential to understand one critical aspect of the topic of Initiative.

Your time is still the most important resource available to you. Please keep in mind where and what you spend that on. Taking the initiative is excellent, but if you spend your time and effort on the wrong things in the wrong timeframe, you will fail often and can get derailed in your career.?

Nonetheless, immense learning comes from these early failures. Once you have taken the Initiative, you must develop a process that helps you quickly determine items worth pursuing intensely. This will help you decide whether or not you are looking for something worth pursuing for the company, your team, and your career, as well as help identify who else you need to support your efforts on the Initiative.?

It takes a long time to come back if you chase the wrong rabbit hole for a long time, and it could be career suicide if you aren't careful.?

Do not be afraid to commit mistakes; when you make them, own them.

Mistakes are part of the Intrapreneurship journey. Never shy away from making mistakes. When you do make a mistake, own them. Do not try to cover it up, hide it, or ignore it. Every mistake we make has a lesson attached to it. Learn and get better. The only unforgivable mistake is carelessly doing the same twice. This is even more crucial as we go up the leadership chain.

If you are a leader, it is critical to ensure that your aspiring and rising leaders have room to make their own mistakes. Establish guardrails relevant to protect the downside in risky situations, but let them also learn to become future leaders. Once your team knows you have their back and can approach you in any situation, you have a winning A-team of Intrapreneurs.

In Closing

Possessing and taking Initiative is synonymous with Intrapreneurship. Being optimistic and leading even when situations seem gloomy, turbulent, or unclear is a trait that must be practiced. Do not wait for the titles to gain permission to take Initiative. You can start now, where you are and wherever you are.

If you need help expanding on these ideas to specific areas and implementing them successfully, reach out through a direct message or email [email protected]

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