Being an intrapreneur - the tight walk and redemption

It is said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.?

The question is how many organizations facilitate that first step?

I am referring to intrapreneurial motivation, an ethos that makes organisations thrive from within. Create startups.

Why am I talking about this when we have nearly 80 thousand startups among us and on average 4 -5 startups joining the league every day??

These entrepreneurs, bootstrapped or funded, carve out opportunities for themselves and take a plunge, often without a life jacket.?

Organizations, especially the large ones, are too large to match the pace of nimble, agile, and hungry new guys on the block. Their opportunity lies in empowering teams and breeding leaders who think entrepreneurs or rather intrapreneur. An intrapreneur displaying high degree of ownership, carves out new paths and acts beyond the intent to quarterly numbers!

I can give an example of my intrapreneurial journey. Almost 15 years ago, much before intrapreneurship became a lexicon, my boss empowered me to nurture a business line into a separate division. It was exciting of course, but challenging, nonetheless. Success was the aim, but failing was an option too. And therefore, the learnings came early. The first couple of projects could be ascribed to luck, but thereon it was a focused pursuit.?

The story is no different for most other intrapreneurs, I am sure. They roll their sleeves and get their hands dirty. It doesn’t work otherwise. Of course, there are boundaries within the organization and there is just as much freedom you can have. The trick lies in working within the ecosystem without expecting the processes and policies to favor your business line.?

And this is where the lines are drawn between the startup founders and intrapreneurs. Startup founders are free to explore and utilize the funds as they please. Intrapreneurs on the other hand have no funds except for the blessings of their seniors, often with strings attached. They must work with the stakeholders, manage expectations, and validate the trust reposed in them.

As an intrapreneur, with some modest success, I have learnt a few things the hard way. Let me share these with you. Maybe this can make your intrapreneurial journey smoother.

1.?????Be curious - keep an eye out for the new and emerging. Don’t hesitate to explore.?

2.?????Be prepared for failure. It just shows you that an approach did not work; the others still have a better chance.

3.?????Be aware of choices. There are always a hundred things on the negotiation table. Know which?ones?matter the most. Choose your battles wisely.

4.?????Be humble. Do not carry the past as a burden.

5.?????Be respectful, and do not compromise on self-respect. You would know when to withdraw from a deal. Not everything is about success or failure.

When organizations promote innovation above metrics, when they allow ideas to bud and empower the teams to think beyond clocking hours or meeting numbers, they become startup hubs in themselves.

What are your thoughts on building intrapreneurial culture??