The rise of the Intrapreneur

There’s a new way of thinking emerging in some of Africa’s big corporates, taking lessons directly from entrepreneurs. Intrapreneurship is all about encouraging and nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in large corporate environments, and helping innovative (and often maverick) employees who are entrepreneurially minded to take their ideas to the next level, both within and outside the business. As the global economic environment becomes increasingly more pressurized with greater competition and a need for more innovation, it stands to reason that more and more big companies are looking to create a more entrepreneurially thinking workforce. As Virgin founder, Sir Richard Branson, says: “Many millions of people proudly claim the title ‘entrepreneur.’ On the other hand, a title that hasn’t gotten nearly the amount of attention it deserves is entrepreneur’s little brother, ‘intrapreneur:’ an employee who is given freedom and financial support to create new products, services and systems, who does not have to follow the company’s usual routines or protocols.’ While it’s true that every company needs an entrepreneur to get it under way, healthy growth requires a smattering of intrapreneurs who drive new projects and explore new and unexpected directions for business development.”