The Power of Intrapreneurship

Have you ever heard of an intrapreneur? Similar to the sister word of entrepreneur, an intrapreneur is someone who embodies the innovation, creativity and boldness of an entrepreneur within an existing organization or department.

Many people feel that entrepreneurship and starting your own business is one of the only ways that you can be creative, be innovative and change the world. But intrapreneurship matters just as much, if not more! 

Think about a company like Apple. Founded by well-known entrepreneur Steve Jobs, Apple took the world by storm and changed the way we engage with and integrate technology into our everyday lives. But once the company got bigger, they didn’t stop being innovative and creative. It leaned on intrapreneurs, like today’s CEO Tim Cook and others within the organization, to keep the company growing and innovating with every new product launch and update release. 

So how can you embrace intrapreneurship at your organization? 

Think about your organization’s goals and what your role is in relation to achieving them. Is there anything that may need to be reimagined? Is there a process that you play a part in that can be changed? Is there something that can make the connection from where your organization is and where they want to go better? 

Talk to members of your organization that work in other departments. What problems are they facing? Is there a way that you or your team could help? 

Have a conversation with your supervisors and managers. What problems do they see in the organization, or what do they wish they could achieve but just don’t have the time to explore? That can spark an idea of a project that you could work on and collaborate with that person to get creative in those elements. 

As an athlete, you have incredible skills you can lean on to generate innovation at your organization. You don’t have to start your own business to make change, and your skills as an athlete are just as valuable at an existing organization as they are in building a new one. So embrace your curiosity - ask questions and see where your unique skill sets can help to create new ideas. 

Intrapreneurs come in all shapes and sizes. It could be a new HR policy, an accounting systems change, or an external marketing rebrand. You have the opportunity to make change within an existing organization for the better by embracing this innovative and creative spirit. You don't always have to work outside of the system to make big changes. Sometimes it's the small things and little shifts that make the biggest impacts.

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