Have you heard of an intrapreneur?

If more companies adopt corporate entrepreneurship, they’re realizing the massive change that’s needed to make it work. At the same time, they’re starting to take a fresh look at corporate entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.

An entrepreneur is a maverick, energetic, risk-taking visionary who prefers to go it alone, as everybody knows. It’s more difficult to nurture such individuals inside an organization, allowing them the freedom to be innovative and experimental.

There’s a lot of talk about entrepreneurs and freelancers these days—people who work for themselves, set their own schedules, and run their own companies. However, there is another group in town that is gaining popularity: intrapreneurs.

This demonstrates how far the employee-employer relationship has progressed. And, when you consider it, it makes a lot of sense in today’s workplace. In order to advance, employees are seeking more rights and autonomy. Employers are now recognizing the importance of developing a positive company culture that attracts and maintains top talent while also encouraging creativity.

Intrapreneurs, or individuals that are creative, proactive, and flexible, are welcomed and embraced by businesses. However, what exactly are intrapreneurs? Let’s start with business owners. They are motivated by a desire to develop new products or services. As a result, they generate fresh ideas, think beyond what has already been achieved, and are constantly on the lookout for useful solutions to common problems. They have a personal stake in the success of the project.

Intrapreneurs are similar to entrepreneurs. They’re free-thinking creatives who want to share new ways to get things done. The distinction is that they work for a corporation rather than alone. Although no one’s job title is likely to be “intrapreneur,” the mentality can be applied to almost any role.

An intrapreneur can be easily identified within an organization because they approach their work as if it were their own business. Often, an intrapreneur’s creativity makes them a star employee because they’re always coming up with creative solutions to problems.

The most important quality of an intrapreneur is that he or she is consistently humble and honest, whether in an email, a meeting, or a casual conversation. As a result, they are experts at building faith and are well-liked and respected within the organization.

It takes a certain amount of self-assurance to express creative ideas and jump right into a project. Intrapreneurs are risk-takers who believe in themselves and aren’t afraid to try new things or learn from their mistakes. An intrapreneur will not give up until he or she has found a solution to a persistent problem or has hammered out the outlines of a new strategy. An intrapreneur isn’t easily deterred, and they’ve never faced a problem they couldn’t solve.

Have you ever met someone who can call and ask for a favor or details and get a prompt response? That is, after all, a classic intrapreneur pass. They never run out of people to contact who are willing to help and they will do the same in exchange because they are experts at developing relationships.

Intrapreneurs are acutely conscious of how they express their particular strengths, and they work hard to maintain a good public image in order to advertise their skills and services. They have just as big an online presence as they do in person because their professional image is crucial to them.

Companies profit from intrapreneurs because it is advantageous to have workers who take control of their jobs. Employees who believe their talents and efforts are valued (for real) will work harder, be happier, and contribute their best ideas, which will eventually become the company’s ideas and goods.

Some may be concerned that encouraging workers to be too creative would lead to people using their jobs to support their own side businesses. And if that is the case, there is nothing wrong with it if there is no conflict of interest.

So, when you explore ways to advance your career, consider how an intrapreneur’s attitude will help you build your own brand and achieve success. Sure, your thoughts contribute to a company’s vision, but do you know where they’re going next? Your own portfolio, integrated into your resume and LinkedIn profile!

Any successful project you’ve been a part of will give you clear examples of times when you took action and got results. This increases the likelihood of making more money and having access to more potential growth opportunities. Plus, as an intrapreneur, you can pursue a passion project by using a company’s resources and budget rather than starting from scratch and launching it on your own. Instead of a particular work title, your experience as an intrapreneur is tied to in-demand expertise that can be transferred anywhere.

Check out my related post: Who are the new yuppies?

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Interesting reads:

https://hbr.org/2020/03/why-you-should-become-an-intrapreneur

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/intrapreneur.asp

https://corporate-entrepreneurs.com/2012/01/10/10-perceptions-of-intrapreneurs-negative-or-positive/

http://www.northpointgis.com/have-you-ever-heard-of-an-intrapreneur/

https://www.intheblack.com/articles/2013/12/02/here-come-the-intrapreneurs

https://www.scienceofpeople.com/what-is-an-intrapreneur/

https://www.boardofinnovation.com/blog/5-must-have-skills-for-intrapreneurs/

https://www.themuse.com/advice/what-is-an-intrapreneur-how-to-be-one

https://www.brazen.com/blog/archive/entrepreneurship/5-essential-traits-of-the-successful-intrapreneur

https://ideas.sideways6.com/article/what-is-intrapreneurship