Enriching agile leadership in a start-up brings sustainable transformation!

‘Passion to lighten up transformation wherever I work and an endless quench to learn, grow, and initiate something viable is my signature- an ideal intrapreneur’s inner voice’.

The contemporary business world is filled with dreams of everybody wanting to become an entrepreneur. This buzzword, ‘entrepreneurship’, is praised for the so-called qualities of being able to handle uncertainty, being proactive, and bringing solutions through ‘out of the box’ approaches. Let’s be honest! While the modern approach to entrepreneurship is relatively lean, and it is a fact that everyone can become an entrepreneur, do we all have what it takes to face the challenges to achieve the big entrepreneurial vision? Or is it just another form of joining the ‘rat race’? Is it something like the ‘everyone is an entrepreneur, so let me become one’ approach?

While such questions can trigger our inner critic, our answers would remain subjective! No matter what, some of us want to be entrepreneurs! Some of us would wish for a more feasible and secure prospect. What about those with a risk-taking ability and an endless passion for growth employed at an already established startup?

Well, our most familiar intrapreneurship ideas are from corporate companies. Let’s take the example of the innovation giant. Google’s 20% is the most significant intrapreneurial initiative in the corporate world. This policy led to diversified business lines of Google, such as Google Adsense, Gmail, and Google News. Another example would be Starbucks. The company initially had a mission to provide a relaxing environment to the customers. One barista decided to write customers’ names on the cup, and this idea became a standard in every Starbucks store.

Through the above examples, we can come to terms with the power of intrapreneurship. However, one can become a successful entrepreneur by joining a small startup. This allows practising self-made efforts in an uncertain environment—the ones who join startups do not necessarily stem just from the motive of securing employment. There are multiple reasons to join a startup. Joining a startup allows individuals to be a part of fundamental transformation. Every startup is established with a big dream. This automatically gives passion to people who participate with an entrepreneurial zeal to learn and grow. Once they prove their ability to create something viable in a startup, this qualifies them to become a potential entrepreneur.

So, what it takes to be an intrapreneur in a startup?

The journey of intrapreneurship begins with the mindset that takes self-accountability. It is about being the change agent in an organization. An intrapreneur should possess all the qualities of a transformational leader. A transformational leader is someone who initiates transformation through charismatic power! Such change is instigated by spreading the authenticity that motivates others to follow the leader.

While entrepreneurs are praised as change-makers, intrapreneurs are equally crucial in bringing visionary transformation to an organization. Contemporary intrapreneurship is about handling challenges in hyper-uncertain environments, creating viable transformations through autonomous or self-managed teams, and enabling innovative solutions through self-driven passion!

Being an intrapreneur in a startup comes with its downsides! The current business environment is highly volatile. Changes in consumer mindsets have instigated drastic changes in the propositions made by businesses. Businesses mainly focus on strategic competitive advantage! While corporate brands focus on the ‘there is plenty of fish in the market’ approach through ‘diversification’, small businesses are more concerned about finding the most viable ‘niche markets’. This niching-down approach requires startups to think carefully about their ways of delivering.

Hence, the job of an intrapreneur in a startup becomes challenging. They are expected to come up with ideas that create viable outcomes! They are expected to practice business intelligence when delivering their ideas. It also comes with the ability to turn passion into a monetizing prospect!

So, what qualifies a team leader or senior employee as an intrapreneur?

It is the ability to create an out-of-the-box solution and willingness to take self-accountability to the concepts initiated by you. It further comes with the desire to treat the workplace as your startup while allowing others to do the same. You may be a team player and must encourage your subordinates to think and implement innovative solutions.

As a leader, you must believe in the ability of your subordinates and enable an independent working environment for them to create innovative outcomes.

It calls for an agile approach of being flexible with processes, and yet ensuring efficient end-results with high yields. It comes with the willingness of involving clients’ and stakeholders in the process. It further invites a 360 degree performance approach of ensuring multiple stakeholder involvement in whatever new ideas initiated!

You might also be interested in reading our ebook Ignite the leader within!

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