Intrapreneurship Characteristics – Traits, Characteristics of Successful Intrapreneurship

Intrapreneurs are a valuable asset to your team. They use their entrepreneurial spirit in order to promote a culture of innovation and risk-taking within your organization. With the global community’s emphasis towards constant innovation and resilience, they can serve as the immune system for your organization.

Characteristics of Intrapreneurs

Intrapreneurs within your organization can help initiate out-of-the-box thinking. Their minds help generate creative business ideas and develop new products or services. What are the essential characteristics they possess that make them valuable to your organization?

Commitment to Innovation

Successful intrapreneurs are the ones who are agents of change and innovation within an organization. A lot of businesses tend to resist change to minimize disruptions in business operations. However, intrapreneurs see these disruptions as opportunities for growth. They are not afraid to pursue something that they believe will help an organization become more competitive.

Appetite for Risk

In addition to being innovative, intrapreneurs are not afraid to take risks. In fact, risks excite them. They are motivated by rewards instead of being intimidated by risks.

Problem Solving

Intrapreneurs are able to identify problems within the organization. An individual with good problem solving skills can rise above any challenge that is in front of them. They also see an opportunity in every problem. Meanwhile, they are able to identify ways to prevent the same problem from occurring again.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Not everyone is gifted with the ability to become entrepreneurs. They are the ones who showcase dynamic thought and action. The same goes with intrapreneurs. They are excited by new ideas and always seek ways to stand out from competition.

Growth Drivers

Intrapreneurs are not content with maintaining the status quo. They are fueled by the desire to grow and to help the organization get to the next level. In a startup, they are considered assets because they seek out opportunities for growth even without direction. It keeps them focused towards achieving that growth they seek within themselves and for the organization.

Extremely Resourceful

Their drive to succeed and to innovate makes intrapreneurs extremely resourceful. They know where to get help and to utilize resources available to them to the fullest. In addition, they know how to make use of their personal and professional connections to take them to the next level. For this reason, they also like to connect with like-minded individuals.

Self-Starters

Due to their drive to innovate and grow, intrapreneurs are self-starters. They do not seek external motivation to do something and achieve. They find that motivation within themselves.

This is also the reason why intrapreneurs do not need to be told what to do. They go out and do something that they feel should be done in order to get one step closer towards their goal. Intrapreneurs are never low on motivation and they are mentally tough and resilient.

Intrapreneurship Examples

There are plenty of organizations that have adopted the intrapreneurship mindset as their secret to success. One of the best examples of this is Facebook – a company that is built on the very essence of intrapreneurship. While often criticized for integrating new features, it is never afraid to take chances and has continued to become the social media powerhouse that it is known to be. Other social media sites may have come and gone but Facebook remains the king of social media.

Another example of intrapreneurship is with Dreamworks. This company is the one behind many successful movie franchises in Hollywood. The company encourages intrapreneurship and innovation by signing employees up for courses that give them the skills and knowledge to develop the next blockbuster animated film.

The Intrapreneurship Process

Intrapreneurship is a concept that many organizations are now adapting. It empowers employees to be accountable for their roles and responsibilities. By doing this, you can foster growth and a culture of innovation.

This is a process of allowing your employees to act and think like entrepreneurs. This concept is designed to help identify and offer solutions to problems. As a result, you can develop new products or services, or develop new features for an existing product or service. It is about fostering that entrepreneurial vision and mindset.

The Importance of Intrapreneurship

Intrapreneurship is one of the best assets that any organization can have. In the question of why they are important, the short answer is that they fuel business growth.

Given the traits and characteristics they possess as listed above, they hold the difference between an organization that is driven to success versus one that is not. The success of an organization lies in the people who comprise it. By nurturing that intrapreneurship spirit, there are tons of benefits that can be gained from it.

• They can help your business grow. Maintaining an intrapreneurship spirit within your organization is what you need to support growth. Since they seek out opportunities and innovation, they help your business get to the next level. They are not content with keeping things as they are. Since they are willing to take risks, they can bring tons of rewards for the organization.

• They help drive innovation. Disruption is an essential part of any organization, especially if it were to experience growth. Innovation is one of the ways that you can compete. By constantly innovating, you can appeal to the changing needs of your target market.

• They can change the culture and mindset of an organization for the better. The intrapreneurship spirit can alter the mindset framework within an organization. As you innovate and seek out growth, it also requires a new set of competencies. Leaders need to adapt and level up to satisfy the new growth initiatives in the organization. In a way, the members of the organization can also experience growth, not just the company itself.

• They can increase business productivity. An intrapreneur is always driven by rewards (not necessarily monetary) and results. They want to see progress from the actions they put forth. This level of commitment is a recipe for increased productivity within an organization.

It’s time you take a closer look at intrapreneurship and use it as one of the qualities to look for when hiring employees. If you have one who possesses these qualities within your team, take full advantage of that as they can be the secret to getting your business where it needs to be.