Apr 15, 2021
What they mean by “self starter”
A manifesto on intrapreneurship
Intrapreneurship is not just some new and fancy buzzword. An intrapreneur is someone who makes a change from within an organization. They are self-motivated, proactive, and action-oriented people who take the initiative to pursue an innovative product, process, or service within an organization. An intrapreneur is the ultimate self- starter. These people bring their unique skills and experiences (whether personal, professional, educational, spiritual, etc.) into their collective work practice to add value that will translate into greater opportunity and success for themselves and the organization.
Having clearly defined who an intrapreneur is, there are certain traits/mindsets expected of an intrapreneur. This includes:
Vision
Visioning is the most important tool you can have as an intrapreneur. If you can not see yourself being — successful, contributing new and interesting things to your team, developing profitable work practice — then you will not be able to be those things. In the bible verse of Habakkuk 2:2; And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. This scripture is often quoted as an important part of goal setting and it includes three very distinct portions.
i) have a vision, ii) write it down in a place that is visible for yourself and others, iii) hold yourself accountable by showing it to others who can “run with it”. This means that you need to have a vision that is in plain sight, clear and actionable. It cannot be the plans you made in your head that no one sees or knows. This process is very important.
Planning
It is said that “your outcomes are only as good as your preparation”. This is mostly true. You need to develop plans for how you will see the vision come to pass, but those plans should also make room for the supernatural. For things to go in a different direction that will automatically get you to your intended end. As such, a proper plan is never really a perfect plan, it is simply developing some guideposts that outline how you know you are getting closer to where you want to be. A plan should not be over-prescriptive because this can lead to disappointment and could cost you opportunities that do not look exactly like the ones you planned out for yourself. Building flexible plans that make room for the divine, is an important part of being an intrapreneur and showing leadership that you are ambitious but also human.
Fearless Execution
When we think of executing a task, oftentimes what stops us from starting is the fear of failure. We are worried about all of the things that could go wrong. But here is the thing, if you put something out there, even before it is fully hatched, it gives you a chance to iterate. Iteration is important because you are building momentum and buy in along the journey. So long as those you are bringing along are invested in the solution you are trying to bring.
And that is the most important part of executing: anchor yourself to the vision and move forward– tripping, falling, crawling but eventually getting closer to the best version of whatever you are trying to build, enhance or even destroy. You have to do it afraid. You have to do it ready to fail. Just be assured that the experience will bring you closer to your desired outcome.
Coalition Building
We all hate networking happy hours and events that are created specifically for talking to strangers. We know how uncomfortable those can be. But truly, your ability to bring value to the organization depends largely on your ability to make friends and win people over.
Coalition building, collaboration, networking — all of these require you to have the communication and connection skills to bring results. That’s why you should think of networking in three ways, who is guiding me, who is holding my hand, and who is following me? If you can build connections in those three directions, you can help build better work products.
Innovation
Innovation is a word thrown around carelessly these days. But what is it? Innovation, simply, means copying something that has been done before, bringing it into a new context, and editing it to the needs of that space. Consider the fact that Facebook as a platform is not particularly novel. It is a space where people gather and connect. This has been happening at bars, restaurants, churches, and offices for millennia. What makes Facebook different? The location: It is digital. And what are the edits? Being able to engage people no matter where they are physically located. These adaptations brought about a major disruption in our way of life. Social media as we know it today is a result of these major tweaks built upon other types of innovation (internet and computers/ phones). So how does that apply to your work practice? Things are happening in the way you work that could use some adaptation. Your job, as an intrapreneur, is to identify those opportunities and bring them to the fore.
Reflection
Oftentimes, when you are busily building and growing your organization, the reward for your effort is more hard work. So how do you prevent burnout? How do you critically assess how far you have come and where you have to go? How do you identify blind spots? Develop a reflection and meditation practice. Develop boundaries for yourself and those around you. Identify accountability partners to offer feedback and provide counsel. This means, every month, take a day, give yourself a three-day weekend to stay home, rest, and reflect on the successes and failures of the month. Identify opportunities to grow, connect with God, unplug from social media, eat ice-cream, and breathe.
Doing this continually gives you the opportunity to see what you need to keep doing, what you need to change, and what you need to stop doing. There are several wellness practices to be done, but what matters most is that you have one built into your calendar that can not be moved or shaken.
If you would like to read more about intrapreneurship, visit my website and check out my podcast where I talk about applying this mindset in the real world of work!
