This episode originally aired on The Agile Brand podcast, and we wanted to share it as part of The Innovation Economy’s Intrapreneurs series.
While entrepreneurs are often lauded with creating new businesses and ideas, it is more often the case that change agents working within organizations—intrapreneurs—are responsible for innovation and seeing those new ideas through to completion.
In this first episode, co-host Adam Chen and Greg Kihlström discuss what it means to be an intrapreneur and give a preview of the rest of the series.
About the Co-Host, Adam Chen
Adam Chen is President at AmenityLinc.
From Adam:
My name is Adam Chen and I am a Change Agent. Throughout my career, I have focused on absorbing information from a variety of roles spanning business strategy, business development, technology and communications in a variety of industries ranging from Government Contracting, Finance, Advertising, Hospitality, and Professional Services to innovate and drive transformational improvements within the organizations I have been humbled to be a part of. In this, my most recent venture, I am now offering my breadth of experience through select consultation partnerships where the fit is right.
Having held many senior roles such as Chief Information Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Experience Officer, and Senior Digital Strategist, I have a depth of experience in the following areas. If you would like to explore a collaborative relationship please contact me.
Synopsis
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The Innovation Economy is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op.
Synopsis
In this episode, the importance of creating an environment that fosters and retains entrepreneurial and innovative individuals is emphasized for the success and sustainability of an organization. The guest speaker highlights the crucial role of leadership teams in establishing this environment. They emphasize that leaders should actively identify and recognize individuals with entrepreneurial qualities and provide them with opportunities to thrive.
The guest speaker also emphasizes the need for leaders to understand the motivations of entrepreneurs and change agents at all levels of the organization. By tailoring motivation strategies to individuals, leaders can bring out the best in their employees and create an environment that encourages innovation and creativity.
Additionally, the episode discusses the significance of diversity of thought and the facilitation of healthy debate within an organization. Leaders should intentionally surround themselves with diverse perspectives and encourage open discussions. This helps foster a culture where employees feel comfortable speaking up and sharing their ideas, leading to more innovative solutions and long-term success.
Overall, the episode underscores that creating an environment that fosters and retains entrepreneurial and innovative individuals requires strong leadership and a culture that values diversity of thought and encourages open communication.
Motivation plays a key role in bringing out the best in people at all levels of an organization. The episode explores how leaders should be able to tailor motivation to each individual in order to bring out their best. It emphasizes that this is a rare trait and not all leaders possess it. The transcript suggests that employees have different motivations and expectations today, and they have more options available to them if their current job does not align with their needs and wants. Therefore, leaders need to understand what motivates their employees and create an environment where their motivation can thrive. The episode also mentions that entrepreneurs and change agents are motivated by different factors, and it is important for leaders to identify and retain these individuals to foster innovation and entrepreneurship within the organization. Overall, the episode highlights the importance of motivation in bringing out the best in people and creating a sustainable and innovative organization.
In this episode, the speaker discusses the importance of building a sustainable organization. They emphasize that having a long-term vision is crucial for success. This means looking beyond short-term metrics or individual goals and focusing on creating an organization that continuously fosters entrepreneurship and innovation.
The speaker also mentions the significance of creating a culture that values intrapreneurship. Intrapreneurs are change agents within organizations who drive innovation and bring new ideas to fruition. The speaker suggests that organizations should surround themselves with diverse thought and intentionally facilitate debate to encourage intrapreneurship.
Furthermore, the speaker highlights the negative impact of a culture that revolves around one genius or leader. In such environments, people may be less willing to speak up, leading to less diverse thought and ultimately hindering innovation. Therefore, building a sustainable organization requires a culture that encourages collaboration, diverse perspectives, and open communication.
Overall, the episode emphasizes the need for a long-term vision and a culture that values intrapreneurship and innovation to build a sustainable organization.
