Unlocking the power of intrapreneurship in your organization
For the past decade, The League of Intrapreneurs has identified, celebrated and supported impact intrapreneurs: institutional change agents transforming our workplaces into platforms for positive societal impact. These ‘entrepreneurs on the inside’ have advanced circular supply chains, green mobility, clean energy, lifesaving products, design for inclusivity and regenerative solutions. Alongside social entrepreneurs, impact intrapreneurs are pioneering the new models we need for a just, equitable and regenerative future.
Unfortunately, there remains a massive gap between ambition and impact. So, after a decade of growing the movement for intrapreneurship, The League is turning its attention to closing this gap by addressing a critical need: corporate culture that enables impact intrapreneurship.
We are launching the Intrapreneur Leadership Lab in partnership with NOVA School of Business & Economics and BMW Foundation, where we will explore the contributors to impact intrapreneurship and co-design practical solutions to unlock and scale intrapreneurship in companies, governments and non-profit organizations.
In preparing for this Lab, we asked our global community of over 200 intrapreneurs and change agents what they would advise CEO’s and company leaders thinking about how to unlock the innovation potential of their employees. Here’s what they said.
Create Space for Imagination
Think about when you’ve had your best ideas. Was it when you were in a 30-minute meeting with a 10 point agenda? Or sat at your desk preparing the latest powerpoint? Not likely. Ideas come when we allow space to tune in, to look at challenges from different perspectives, and to stumble into serendipitous connections.
When we relieve ourselves of the pressure of the next deliverable and give ourselves a moment to see with new eyes and to re-imagine — creativity and new ideas blossom. Easier said than done, but no one said innovation was easy!
Encourage employees to hold space for exploration — specifically give permission to block time free from meetings (how about meeting-free Friday?), support them getting out of the office to make new connections and learn, and invite them to share their perspectives, questions and ideas no matter how wild.
*Health warning — do this within human boundaries. No good ideas come from employees who are burnt out!
Invite Everyone to be Part of the Journey
The beauty of intrapreneurship is that good ideas can come from anywhere. And, in fact, the best ideas often come from employees closest to your customers or the communities you are working to serve.
Unfortunately, many people doubt their own abilities when it comes to innovation or are afraid to speak up. And even more so if you’re not part of the dominant group. So, share stories about intrapreneurs from diverse backgrounds and parts of the organization. Find ways to include diverse voices in spaces where new ideas are being generated and boost confidence through mentorship and recognition.
Interrogate your hierarchy. Do employees have agency to try out new things on a small scale? Can they move quickly to seize opportunities? Or do they get caught up in layers of bureaucracy or the corporate hairball?
Ultimately, focus on creating a culture where people feel safe to bring forward new ideas.
Foster Constructive Discomfort
The importance of psychological safety at work is well known. Google demonstrated it contributes to team performance and we work to create safe spaces every day in the League. This concept, however, can be misinterpreted as the need for consensus or avoiding disagreement. But, we need disagreement and discomfort to innovate. One key to Amazon’s culture of innovation is that leaders actively encourage employees to disagree; if everyone in a meeting agrees, they see it as a red flag. Tensions are a brilliant source of new ideas! Unfortunately, we see high levels of conformity in orgs leading to group think, stifling creativity and quashing original and potentially game-changing ideas.
On the road to impact and purpose you will encounter hard truths, tensions and challenges. Do we take a financial risk to develop a new ethical product? Do we stop working with customers who don’t align with our values? Do we lay off teams or invest in re-training? Do we bow to “market dynamics or do we stand up for what we believe in? For intrapreneurs and their innovations to thrive, they need cultures that lean into these difficult conversations to find a way through with integrity and creativity.
Reflect on your Commitment to Purpose
The single biggest barrier intrapreneurs identified to growing intrapreneurship in organizations is the lack of leadership commitment. They observe in many companies a major gap between what companies say they want to do and the daily actions, KPIs and business as usual approaches. Authentic leadership is not just about what you say, it is also about what you mean and what you do. If you want your employees to commit heart and soul to your mission, you must too.
So, what do you need to be truly committed to your North Star? What values are guiding you? How do you demonstrate your commitment? What are the bold decisions you are willing to take to advance your company’s purpose journey? How might you bring stakeholders — especially shareholders — along to create support for your journey?
And, can your intrapreneurs be a source of inspiration and strength as you advance on your journey? They are there and willing — find them, listen to them and invite them to be ambassadors of the change you wish to bring to the world.
About the Author
Maggie De Pree is a co-founder of The League of Intrapreneurs, a global learning community for impact ‘intrapreneurs’ — people working for a better world from inside our incumbent institutions — influential corporates, governments and NGOs. She has spent over a decade harnessing the innovation potential of business to address issues ranging from climate change to healthcare and has worked with companies such as GSK, BMW, Nike, Barclays, Shell, BP and SC Johnson. She regularly speaks and writes on the topic of sustainable innovation and intrapreneurship and is the co-author of The Intrapreneur’s Guide to Pathfinding and The Social Intrapreneur: A Field Guide for Corporate Changemakers. She is a recipient of the Grant Thornton 100 Faces of a Vibrant Economy Award.
Maggie is a native Oregonian who has spent the past 15 years in the UK developing an appreciation for milky tea, cricket and cold-water swimming. She is a passionate advocate for girls’ sport and is a trained soccer (aka football) and cricket coach. Connect with her on LinkedIn or at maggiedepree.com
