Intrapreneurs: why social enterprises need them

By Hamish Forsyth, Guardian Professional,2-10-2013

Social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs (aka corporate entrepreneurs) share similar objectives and qualities: they're believers and battlers so they're likely to get on

As a social entrepreneur, you've doubtlessly cultivated a support network of social enterprise peers. You're probably friendly with a crowd of regular entrepreneurs too. I'm assuming you're linked into the charity and public sectors, sympathetic media types, and you probably have the name, address, private line, full measurements and seasonal gift preferences for anyone even faintly resembling an investor or funder.

So who's missing? How many intrapreneneurs (aka corporate entrepreneurs) do you know? I'm not talking corporate managers, whose designated role is to interface with partners like you or specifically address social responsibility issues. These people might be intrapreneurs, but they certainly don't have to be.  

Richard Branson defined an intrapreneur as "an employee who is given the freedom and financial support to create new products, services and systems who does not have to follow the company's usual routines and protocols".

Intrapreneurs can show up in any part of an organisation. So why should intrapreneurs matter to you as a social entrepreneur?

First, you're both believers and battlers, so you're likely to get on. You are both entrepreneurs and you're challenging the status quo. Social entrepreneurs are battling the idea that impact is difficult to reconcile with financial sustainability.  Intrapreneurs are often battling the structures that big business places on entrepreneurial innovation.  It can get lonely as an entrepreneur in a large organisation, so there's a great basis on which to build camaraderie.

Which leads to the second point: as entrepreneurs they've got the imagination to see the potential of a big idea, and the attitude to push it through to realisation.  If that big idea is your idea, intrapreneurs can be powerful internal advocates – even if they're not in the "right" department. The fact they've been afforded the freedom they have suggests that they'll be more likely than most to have internal clout.

Third, regardless of whether your work is a great fit for their company, as corporate entrepreneurs, they'll have contacts like them in other organisations.  They'll also have a keen understanding of how corporates deal with proposals coming from outsiders like you. If your enterprise regularly works with large corporates, an intrapreneur could be a great mentor. >>>