three questions that define the social intrapreneur

Question 1: Am I driven towards purposeful work?

A social intrapreneur has an intrinsic drive to go beyond their normal duties in search of more meaning in the workplace. It could be wanting to improve the livelihoods of a vulnerable population or changing a company process to help the environment. The purpose behind the drive must be strong, strong enough to compel them to take risks, spend thankless unpaid overtime hours to advance ideas, and take on the occasional ire and criticism of colleagues who don’t understand what they are trying to achieve.

A social intrapreneur has an intrinsic drive to go beyond their normal duties in search of more meaning in the workplace. It could be wanting to improve the livelihoods of a vulnerable population or changing a company process to help the environment.

The purpose behind the drive must be strong, strong enough to compel them to take risks, spend thankless unpaid overtime hours to advance ideas, and take on the occasional ire and criticism of colleagues who don’t understand what they are trying to achieve.

Question 2: Have I taken an innovative idea to reality?

In 1978, US entrepreneur Gifford Pinchot III coined and defined the term intrapreneur as: “The dreamers who do: those who take hands-on responsibility for implementing an idea within a business.”

The intrapreneur has a resilient mindset that helps them deal with setbacks and negative feedback from superiors. With the endurance, along with an ability to bring together colleagues willing to contribute, they follow through on their vision to create impact no matter what it takes.

Question 3: Have I demonstrated measurable impact on society?

The last qualification for being a social intrapreneur is creating tangible, irrefutable evidence of positive social impact. When I talk among social intrapreneurs they are proud of the money saved or gained by their organization, but if you ask them why they do it, they will talk most passionately about how their work helps the lives of others.

While the process to get there is tough, the stories and evidence of measurable impact make a social intrapreneur admired by their colleagues and peers alike.

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