How To Get Your Team to Think Like Entrepreneurs

The entrepreneurial spirit is thriving like never before. Many are drawn to the allure of becoming their own boss, driven by various factors, including flexible working, and 'side hustle' culture.

For me, the word entrepreneur conjures up a range of images. From someone planning their start-up on their kitchen table to Karren Brady, Richard Branson or Lord Sugar, building their multimillion turnover businesses. (Psstt - if you're looking for some inspiration to start your own business or take the leap into something new, click here to sign up for something super exciting)

But what happens when we take that entrepreneurial spirit and instil it within our team members?

Understanding Intrapreneurship

An intrapreneur, according to the dictionary, is "an employee of a company who exhibits many of the attributes of entrepreneurs, taking calculated risks to solve specific problems."

Essentially, intrapreneurs are innovators within a company, driving change and spearheading initiatives as if the business were their own.

While entrepreneurship is not for everyone—given its challenges, particularly around cash flow and maintaining a steady income—many traits unite entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Chief among these is mindset.

The Power of a Growth Mindset

Both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs exhibit a growth mindset, a concept championed by Stanford Professor Dr. Carol Dweck. They both display growth mindset behaviour, which means that they:

• Embrace learning and discovering new methods
• Persevere in the face of setbacks
• Draw inspiration from others' successes
• Welcome feedback and learn from it
• View failure as an opportunity for growth

During the research period for my book, Secrets of Successful Sales, I looked at what overachieving employees did differently to their colleagues whose results were erratic. It became apparent that the overachievers always felt and made decisions like they were running their own business. Although they received a salary at the end of the month, they made decisions looking through the eyes of an entrepreneur.

If it was their business...

• Would they call the customer back as promised?
• Would they recycle to cut costs?
• Would they use their time productively?
• Would they show up every day with a positive attitude?
• Would they bring their best effort, akin to their first day?
• Would they see every interaction as a sales opportunity?
• Would they seek ways to enhance customer satisfaction?

The answer to this is YES, YES, YES and this is what makes them different to a lot of their colleagues.

The Fixed Mindset Challenge

Sometimes employees can slip into a fixed mindset which looks like this:

• Dread feedback, seeing it as a personal attack
• Avoid challenges to prevent failure
• Believe effort is pointless
• Think learning new things is unnecessary
• Resist change

These traits can be prevalent especially when they have been in a company for a long time, where complacency and bad habits start to set in.

Can You Change Your Mindset?

Absolutely. Changing your mindset is possible. To shift towards a growth mindset, start by embracing the idea that skills and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. Cultivate self-awareness using DISC to identify limiting beliefs and replace them with empowering thoughts. Seek feedback actively, and use it constructively to fuel your growth. Embrace challenges and view failures as valuable learning experiences. Surround yourself with positive influences and continuously set realistic, yet challenging goals to push your boundaries. This deliberate effort to reframe your thinking will unlock new potentials and drive personal and professional success.

Of course, this is just a list of suggested actions, it takes real hard work and determination to transform your mindset.

Embracing Intrapreneurship in Your Business

So, how do you foster and support intrapreneurship within your business or department? Engaging with these ideas and cultivating a growth mindset among your team can lead to transformative results.

Want to know more about empowering your team to foster an Intrapreneurial mindset? Read more about my speaking topic here.