Four ways to embrace your inner ‘intrapreneur’ and boost your career
You might have heard the word ‘intrapreneur’ being bandied about in recent times. It’s the new business buzzword for an innovative and passionate self-starter; someone who embraces an entrepreneurial mindset within the context of a job, and with an organisation’s resources at their fingertips. An employee who finds a way to streamline processes, expand market reach or establish a company as an industry leader.
Essentially, they treat the company, department or project as though it were their own business. Does this sound like you? It explains why company owners and recruiters are increasingly on the lookout for employees with this entrepreneurial mindset: being an intrapreneur can help a business grow. So how do you adopt an intrapreneurial mindset?
1. Understand the company
Look at the challenges that the business faces and consider whether you have or can acquire the skills required to fix those problems – or at the very least, become an active part of the solution. If you can find the unique pain points that your organisation faces, and which impact key stakeholders, it will heighten your visibility and reputation.
2. Focus on evolution
To succeed or survive during the pandemic, we’ve had to embrace change and innovation. Evolution is a necessary component of business and personal success, so how can you be a part of the organisation’s growth? How can you transform the organisation from the inside out? This might look like you are solving a small scale problem that could then be scaled companywide.
3. Embrace experimentation
An entrepreneurial mindset is closely linked to experimentation, the beauty of being an intrapreneur (over an entrepreneur) is that you have the support and resources of your organisation in the background.
4. Become indispensable
Becoming the resident problem solver in the organisation helps you to build your visibility, credibility and reputation. Companies hire external analysts and consultants to solve problems; imagine they had you to think innovatively and execute ideas instead. This newly acquired mindset will help you to build informal leadership skills as a person with ‘out of the box’ solutions and critical thinking skills.
You might be thinking: this all sounds great, but will it definitely help me to enhance my career? The skills that you require and acquire as an intrapreneur are essential to life and business. I have seen in my own career (and of those I coach and mentor) that by becoming a trusted innovative thinker and problem solver, a whole host of opportunities open up to you.
You will become more determined; entrepreneurial thinking requires you to be both an idealist and a pragmatist. You foster meaningful relationships; networking and building relationships can help boost your career trajectory, it allows you to learn from the leaders within your company or organisation. This can include learning how to manage a team or deal with clients.
You know where to focus and zero in on the things that need to be done and manage priorities effectively. This makes you a productive and commendable corporate talent. And those who bring results to the table can get promoted.
You will start to lean towards innovation; an intrapreneur is an innovative and passionate self-starter. They find things that must change for the better.
You will always be prepared to pivot; something we have all become quite familiar with during the pandemic. Pivoting requires you to be aware of business and market trends, weighing up what makes sense for the company and how you plan to adopt it.
Whether you’re a full-time corporate talent or side hustler, you can accelerate this mindset to push your career ahead, solidify your position as a company asset and embrace your inner intrapreneur.
Bianca’s Business Survival Kit is a guide for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs who wish to thrive and seek out their goals.
Women Mean Business Live is taking place on October 20 2021 as a virtual event. It will bring together business leaders and entrepreneurs for a day of action, debate and networking to overcome the barriers that all too often prevent female-led businesses and professionals within the workplace from reaching their full potential.
Speakers will include NatWest CEO Alison Rose, Kate Bingham, Anya Hindmarch, Julia Gillard, Bianca Miller-Cole, as well as The Telegraph’s own Lisa Armstrong and Camilla Tominey.
For more details and to buy tickets click here
