Every entrepreneur needs to go through the phase of hiring employees that will help run their business when they realize they can’t enter the world of success on their own. If this is the phase you are currently in, it is important to decide whether you want employees or intrapreneurs.
What is an intrapreneur?
An intrapreneur will bring you more value than a dozen employees. Employees lack the inner drive to see you succeed; they are solely there for a paycheck and always need direction. One way to differentiate an employee from an intrapreneur is how they react during a time that a decision needs to be made. Are they proactive or do they wait to be told what to do? An intrapreneur takes action, and makes decisions for the betterment of your business.
Why do you need an intrapreneur?
Firstly, if you are not a business owner that easily gives up control, has trust issues, and simply wants everything done your way, you might want to reconsider your career of choice. An individual that is rigid and can’t seem to delegate or work in a team should find a self-running business that requires little to no help from the outside. You may have the spirit of a manager. A manager is more of a role that micromanages and provides instruction to their employees. The success or failure of your team is on your shoulders. A manager does NOT have time to grow a business. He/She simply just maintains it.
With intrapreneurs on your time, you as the entrepreneur can delegate vision and trust that your intrapreneurs can carry that vision out. They are leaders that take charge. They are not employees that wait to be told what to do. This is not to say that you have to hand over your business to a group of intrapreneurs. A business always needs a leader. And you, as their leader, are there to continue to remind them of your vision and goals with consistent clarity.
What to do when you find an intrapreneur.
It should definitely go without saying that if you are an entrepreneur, you have done so prior to preparation. You’ve taken the necessary courses, utilized the necessary tools to broaden your skill set and credibility as an entrepreneur. Because you are so well equipped for the position you are in, you can now pour into those intrapreneurs you carefully selected to be a part of your team. Provide opportunities to keep them well informed in the field of business you are in. Offer free webinars they can attend, or books they can read. Whatever opportunities you can provide your staff to continue to grow, do so! You will always reap what you sow, when you’re sowing into the right soil!
Always remember, however, that nobody is perfect. You will have an intrapreneur that may make a mistake. That does not make them an employee. It’s their drive and ambition that defines them. Just like you started somewhere, making mistakes and learning from them, your team will do the same down their own journey to success.
After all is said and done, when searching for a team that will catapult your business to the next level, decide prematurely that you want a winning team. Find like minded individuals with a driving force to succeed. Understand that just like you needed time and investment, they will also. Finding intrapreneurs is an investment well worth it. Take the time to find them, nurture them and encourage them towards a brighter future for your business.