The Intrapreneur: How to Be the Boss, Even When You Aren't!

How many times have you found yourself watching the clock and counting down the minutes until it was time to shut it down and exit stage left? Or, have you declared to yourself that you were not going to take on one more project that was outside the scope of your job requirements because, quite simply, you weren’t being paid for it? 

When it comes to corporate America, many people find themselves in one of two camps. The first: I’m not going to do any more than I have to because I’m not getting paid to do it.

Or, the second: 

I’ll treat everything that I do or every project I work on as if it were mine and I was the CEO of the company. 

You get to decide. Believe it or not, that one distinction can dramatically alter the trajectory of your career. Just think about how many times you have closed your eyes and dreamed about leaving and starting your own company? You couldn’t wait to have autonomy…and no boss!

But what would happen if you made a slight alteration in your thought process and started thinking how you could treat your current company as if it were your own? Imagine from this moment asking yourself that very question.

Have you ever heard the term intrapreneur? According to the dictionary it is: a manager within a company who promotes innovative product development and marketing.

But I like to think of it in an even more simplistic way. To approach your job as if you own the company. 

What is the best way to service your clients? 

What you could do better this week than last? 

How you can learn from the mistakes or missteps of your company and improve a process or system?

Consider the impact you could have if you spent your spare time developing fresh ideas and concepts to introduce simply because you were a part of the team and your only agenda was to make sure your team performance was best-class. 

By changing your approach, and making it intrapreneurial, how do you think your situation would change?  The moment you stop viewing your profession from the lens of “I’m not being paid for that, ” and recognize that everything you work on is your masterpiece, a world of opportunities open up for you. 

Don’t believe me, why don’t you give it a try? 

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Jennifer Ransaw Smith is a nationally recognized  Personal Elevation™ Architect, Leadership Development Mentor and Personal Brand Strategist. She specializes in igniting the visibility, credibility, and profitability of professional women. If you are interested in joining her tribe of “Undeniably Fierce,” women from across the globe or learning how to Boost Your Status, sign up for her FREE Master Class at www.personalelevation.com