Internal Entrepreneurs – Path to Conscious Leadership

by: Susan Foley - May 25th, 2011   Filed under: Conscious Capital, Conscious Leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility, Internal Entrepreneurs, Intrapreneurs 2 Comments

Are internal entrepreneurs (Intrapreneurs) conscious leaders or are they on the path to conscious leadership? After spending two days at the Conscious Capital conference at Bentley University the answer continues to elude me. http://www.consciouscapitalism.org/

The Concious Leadership and Marketing Conference was filled with well known business leaders, consultants, futurists, academics, independent business owners and even a shaman.  There were nuggets of wisdom in every speech that related to being an internal entrepreneur but not everything seemed to fit.

Like many of the participants I found myself at a conference with a topic I knew little about.  Relating to the topic meant drawing on my own mental models to see connections, draw conclusions and find a way to understand.  Being present meant putting aside my own beliefs and being open to what is possible.

The comments that seemed to frame the discussion were:

  • Transformational leadership - leading with head, heart and soul
  • Fearless pursuit of purpose - purpose first then strategy
  • Leading with your values - take a set of values and make them real
  • Meaning is the anchor - leaders with purpose transform organizations
  • Trust and confidence are the same - trust is a key part of reputation
  • Integrating the masculine and feminine - the highest level of adult development
  • Manifesting who you are - self awareness and self expression
  • Culture eats strategy for breakfast - soft is the new hard
  • Reframing how we do business - making short term tradeoffs for the long term
  • Redefining return - doing good and doing well

It seems as though conscious leadership is not a revolution but an evolution.  It is a reflection of where we’ve been and where we need to go.  It is a rejection of all that is bad about business and an acceptance of all that is good about humanity.  It goes beyond Corporate Social Responsibility to embody the power of human expression, self determination and doing things for the greater good.  Being all we can be as individuals and organizations.

Many of the things on the list are what motivates and drives internal entrepreneurs.  Not everything they do is for the greater good but the intent is there.  As Michael Gelb a pioneer in innovative leadership said, “Things are the way they are because we designed them to be that way.” He went on to say that the only way to change the landscape is to redesign it.  http://michaelgelb.com/biography/

Internal entrepreneurs have been trying to do just that within the constraints of a system where profit was king. What would they be able to do if they worked in a system where people, planet and profit reined?

My guess is that internal entrepreneurs are already on the path to conscious leadership.  What do you think?

Internal Entrepreneurs – Resurgence of Intrapreneurs

by: Susan Foley - May 4th, 2011   Filed under: Corporate Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurial Leaders, Intrapreneurs, Intrapreneurship, Uncategorized Add Comment

Although interest in Intrapreneurs seems to rise and fall with the economy the current interest is being fueled by a growing recognition that growth through innovation is a critical imperative for most organizations.

The term Intrapreneur was first used in 1978 in an article written by Gifford Pinchot and later in his book Intrapreneuring for Action. The book highlights how Intrapreneurs are the key to effectively implementing innovation. Pinchot defined the term Intrapreneur as, “A person within a large corporation who takes direct responsibility for turning an idea into a profitable finished product through assertive risk-taking and innovation.”

Today Intrapreneurs are also known as corporate entrepreneurs, mavericks, change agents, positive deviants, growth leaders, change wizards or as I like to call them internal entrepreneurs.  No matter what you call them, these individuals are entrepreneurs – inside themselves and their organizations.

The importance of internal entrepreneurs is being reinforced with an increase in blog posts, articles, and books on the topic. Articles like 10 Tips for Intrapreneurs http://bit.ly/hq8fps, Exit: Managers Enter: Intrapreneurs,  http://pragatileadership.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/exit-managers-enter-intrapreneurs/, Google and It’s New Management Method: Intrapreneurs, http://bit.ly/eB0kmt, etc. Plus the interest in social Intrapreneurs is breathing new life into this concept.

Despite Pinchot’s definition and the growing interest in Intrapreneurs there still remains a lack of understanding about who these individuals are, why they are different, or why it is important.  Internal entrepreneurs will tell you that their organizations don’t understand them or appreciate them for what they do or how they do it.  They are frustrated with their organizations inability to effectively capitalize on their skills and capabilities.

Ten years ago if you searched on Google for the term Intrapreneur, corporate entrepreneur or internal entrepreneur you were lucky if you came back with a page and a half of links.  Today if you search on those same terms you come back with millions of hits.  If you think this is good news, think again.  The proliferation of information has only served to confuse not clarify who these individuals are. 

The e-book Acceleration –Changing the Speed of Growth provides an in depth look at the top competencies that distinguish internal entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial leaders from others. It is a good starting point for understanding who these individuals are, why they are different and why it is important. www.corporate-entrepreneurs.com/Acceleration.html.  Plus for now you can download it for free.

Finding and developing internal entrepreneurs has become a top priority for organizations that want to achieve new growth through innovation.  They know that if they don’t find these individuals, some other organization will. 

Susan Foley is the founder of Corporate Entrepreneurs LLC and the author of the book Entrepreneurs Inside: Accelerating Business Growth with Corporate Entrepreneurs. www.corporate-entrepreneurs.com.