Opinionated. Creative.
You never stay in your lane. Business savvy.
Unhappy with the job you were given. Entrepreneurial.
IN·TRA·pre·neur /ˌintrəprəˈnər/
Individuals working for an organization who display creative or entrepreneurial strengths. Idea person. Desire to be leveraged. Often misunderstood resource.
Do you know an INTRApreneur? Are you an INTRApreneur?
They call you the "Idea Person," eh?
I was an INTRApreneur for years, although that label is fairly new so I didn’t call myself one. In fact, I really didn’t even think too much about it. I just was who I was.
I was curious about all areas of the company, saw endless opportunities, wanted to help be part of solutions and typically wasn’t afraid to share my ideas. I befriended others like me, but still played nicely with others. As I look back on my career trajectory from an Individual Contributor (someone who is responsible for their own work) to passing up a C-suite/Executive role I’m able to spot a few trends:
I wanted to make an impact
I never “stayed in my lane”
I didn’t “keep my head down”
I wasn’t always accepted with open arms. There were some icy and awkward moments. Quite a few “stay in your lane” conversations. Questions like, “Are you unhappy in your current role?”
Many just didn’t know what to do with someone with all these ideas and excitement for change – some were positive, some were leery. So, I had a choice to make…be myself or conform. I chose to be me and worked hard to get really good at sharing ideas without getting kicked out (most of the time!).
Choose your adventure
There are two directional choices that we can make:
Stay quiet and wait for our surroundings to evolve and fix themselves.
Speak up and be a part of the growth and change.
I chose to speak up and I hope you will too. It’s a choice we get to make daily, often meeting to meeting and person to person. There’s risks and rewards to it. But, denying your true nature is a slow death of your soul.
Dramatic much?! I don’t think so. I’ve talked to hundreds of people who fit this profile and have noted emotional distress, physical illness, relationship issues and mental health ramifications from time spent at an organization or in a role that doesn’t nurture their natural strengths and makeup. Been there? Thought so.
Want to build a movement?
I’ve got two goals:
Reframe the way INTRApreneurs leverage their skills and share their thoughts, moving them from ideas to impact.
Enhance the way organizations (companies, schools, churches, etc.) leverage the INTRApreneurial skillset for a better return on their investment in humans.
I’d love for you to join me on this journey! I’ll be sharing results from my research, stories from the frontlines, wisdom from other experts and tips for being more successful in moving from ideas to impact.
Not feeling like you fit the description of an INTRApreneur? Cool. They are only one type of worker. We all come with different strengths, temperaments, and styles. And I SEE YOU! I believe you’ll get value – and add value – on this journey, too. Who doesn’t want tools for strengthening and sharing your voice, all with the comfort of a supportive community of people?
I’m stoked to have you join me on this ride! Click below to subscribe for weekly blog posts and occasional updates on my shenanigans.
I’m wishing you Peace and Progress on your journey!
Anna Oakes