It is long past time to recognize that many businesses need to shed their 20th century, hierarchical and command-and-control structures and realize that the key to success in the 21st century is a more creative, courageous workforce.

It is the Age of the Intrapreneur.

« Fostering Intrapreneurship is not about the feeling of open thought in your business, with open floor plans and clever furniture, free snacks, coffee bars and flextime… »
There are masses of Intrapreneurs about to descend on your company, if you’re lucky. Millennials, by so many measures, are one of the most entrepreneurially minded generations that has come along (although some dispute this belief). In my experiences their entrepreneurial desire is strong. Freed from the expectation that they should work in a steady job or two for the next forty years, and shell-shocked from the Great Recession enough to know they have to be bolder in career management in a Gig Economy, Millennials seek challenge and inspiration and creativity and the ability to challenge existing thinking and make a difference – now. And they are willing to move around to get it. If you do not create an Intrapreneurial culture that welcomes these traits, instead of a culture that mainly protects against risks, they will not stay. And you will lose.

« Intrapreneurs are often seen as risks to your company and culture, disrupting your carefully calibrated everyone-get-along team environment. »
You may believe your business is already doing this. But fostering Intrapreneurship is not about the feeling of open thought in your business, with open floor plans and clever furniture, free snacks, coffee bars and flextime. Few businesses are truly set up for the rise of Intrapreneur beyond these thin trappings.

Part of the problem is traditional corporate attitudes about Intraprenuerial traits in employees. Intrapreneurs are often seen as risks to your company and culture, disrupting your carefully calibrated everyone-get-along team environment. And in the 20th Century corporate culture, these risky individuals would get managed out, a risk to the status quo.

« Intrapreneurs, by pushing your company, help keep your business safe … »
In 21st Century business, however, the greater risk is continuing to accept the status quo you’ve created. Business today moves too fast, too globally with too many ever-changing variables and aggressive competitors and demanding customers. You need more Intrapreneurs. Intrapreneurs, by pushing your company, help keep your business safe from these variables. They are the lifeblood of your businesses’ relevance and ingenuity, not a risk. You should be looking for the « trouble makers » and mavericks, those with the courage and drive to push your thinking and vision, not to keep them in line but to positively harness their energies.

« The leader’s job is to balance the effect of the people in the organization often known as the ‘white blood cells’, those rewarded by the current status quo. »
This is a leadership opportunity, for it is leadership’s responsibility to nurture the bolder thinkers and doers in their midst. It is the leader’s responsibility to elevate the team, not by playing to their common denominator of competence and getting along, but of stimulating them to a higher potential which includes helping them understand and better leverage the Intrapreneurs around them who may seem risky. The leader’s job – not usually noted as an aspect of leadership – is to balance the effect of the people in the organization often known as the « white blood cells », those rewarded by the current status quo, who try to snuff out the people who are challenging the system instead of working with them to advance the company’s potential.

A recent piece at the Harvard Business Review blog reinforces this opportunity (« Great Teams Are About Personalities, Not Just Skills »). Of the five types of roles they found on effective teams, one was Innovation, a classic marker of Intrapreneurial skill. The other roles were Results, Pragmatism, Process and Relationships. And while it is true that effective teams need all of these roles, someone has to stimulate the new ideas to begin with – the Innovator – or else the other team members can’t deliver their benefits. Intrapreneurs will also contain potential in the other roles noted in HBR as well, as Intrapreneuers are not just big thinkers but also biased towards action and accomplishment.

« Have you over-engineered your culture for relationships and pragmatism? »
But even if we just take this research at its base learnings and assume that Intrapreneurial mindsets should be 20% of your teams, do you really believe you have attracted and nurtured that many? Or have you over-engineered your culture for relationships and pragmatism?

An important caveat: Clearly if an Intrapreneur is simply only out for their own agenda, and not that of the company’s objectives or customers, then this is a different leadership and management challenge and must be addressed. But it is worth it for the 21st Century leader to check any too-easy assumptions about an Intrapreneur’s intent, and instead judge their results, as long as they are aiding the team and the company.

Even after finding and nurturing your Intrapreneurs, it may be difficult to raise the majority of your employees to Intrapreneurial capabilities. That’s OK and any company needs a mix of capabilities even as Intrapreneurs become more predominant. And it is likely true that many people in your company, even your tried and true corporate risk averse soldiers, recognize the need for courage and creativity in your business and would love to be part of a bolder agenda unleashed by Intrapreneurial effort if appropriately led and managed.

In the 21st Century, all businesses need courage and creativity to succeed. A more nurturing leadership to the Intrapreneurs amongst you – and for those you wish to attract – is a critical first step. If you don’t have a base of these skill sets, you’ll need to hire them, or bring in courageously thinking outsiders. It’s a start to building your foundation in the most important personality characteristic of modern business.

Richer is an exclusive marketing and brand consultancy focused on adding courage and customer-led power to the natural smarts and assets that are already in your business. www.richerinc.com