The term “intrapreneur” immediately sets up a creative tension. For “ intra” means “going within”, inside of; “preneur” from the French “prendre” means to take, to go out, to undertake. Within this field of tension lies, in fact, not one particular kind of manager, but a whole cast of characters, set on enterprise development. In fact, the intrapreneur is a “holding category” for seven subsidiaries: the innovator, enabler, leader, entrepreneur, change agent, animator and adventurer. How we came to these seven will be revealed in the next chapter. But the reasons why are clear. Firstly the modern corporation requires a more varied cast of characters than either the traditional manager or entrepreneur. Secondly such a cast, as far as I am concerned, should reinforce, rather than detract from, our individuality. As the Chairman of ICI said to a group of managers in a recent speech, contemporary organisations should serve the individual rather than vice versa.
This book is therefore designed to help managers develop such singular and varied attributes as:
- Commercial insight and market awareness
- An ability to work persistently and autonomously
- An innovative and creative mind
- Ability to manage and direct change
- Organisational capacity and analytical skill
- Stamina and staying power
- Ability to get on with people at all levels “
For many of you who will perhaps not at this stage go further with your own business ideas but decide to take a job in commerce and industry, the message is that the skills and attributes you learn and develop with do not go to waste but are valuable assets to take with you. Enterprise and entrepreneurship is not wasted effort.
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