Over a decade ago, Richard Branson called intrapreneurs the “entrepreneur’s little brother” - the people inside organisations who spot opportunities, reimagine what exists and propel businesses into new territory.
That definition still has truth to it. Yet the world has shifted. Organisations today face rapid change, customer expectations that move faster than strategy cycles and a level of complexity that is now considered normal. Innovation can no longer sit with a chosen few. It has to live in the way people think, work and collaborate every day.
Which means intrapreneurship has evolved. It is no longer simply about having a clever idea. It is about cultivating a way of seeing, testing and advancing opportunities that create value for customers and the organisation.
At G2 Innovation, we believe intrapreneurship thrives at the intersection of mindset, behaviour and environment. And that is something any organisation can intentionally develop.
Here is a refreshed and practical view of what intrapreneurship looks like today.
1. Awareness: See What Others Miss
Ideas rarely appear out of thin air. They emerge because someone has been paying attention. Modern intrapreneurs build their awareness deliberately. They stay curious about customers, trends, problems and possibilities.
This isn’t about being “in the know” for the sake of it. It is about understanding the real needs of users and reframing challenges in ways that lead to more imaginative solutions.
Questions intrapreneurs regularly ask:
What are we noticing but not naming?
Where is the friction for our customers?
What assumptions are we protecting without realising it?
2. Creativity: Start Small, Learn Fast
Intrapreneurship is often misunderstood as the pursuit of sweeping, transformative ideas. In reality, most meaningful innovation begins with small, thoughtful experiments.
Creativity today is less about sudden inspiration and more about rapid learning. At G2 Innovation we talk often about progress over perfection, and it applies here too: you learn more by testing a rough idea quickly than by refining a perfect one slowly.
Small tests reduce risk, strengthen confidence and build a culture that expects exploration rather than certainty.
3. Resilience: Navigate Setbacks with Intent
Every intrapreneur faces resistance. Ideas get challenged, delayed or deprioritised. Sometimes they are rejected entirely. What matters is how someone responds.
Resilience in this context is not about pushing through at all costs. It is the ability to pause, reflect, adjust and continue with clarity. It is the capacity to hold an idea lightly enough to evolve it, but firmly enough to advocate for it.
Resilience is the difference between seeing a setback as proof something will never work, and seeing it as information that helps shape the next step forward.
4. Resourcefulness: Build Energy, not Lone Heroism
A decade ago, the advice was to use the resources around you. That remains true, but intrapreneurship today also requires something deeper: the ability to bring people with you.
Good ideas rarely succeed because one person pushed hard enough. They succeed because someone built alignment, invited input, involved the right people early and created momentum.
This draws on forms of influence beyond authority. Trust, clarity, credibility and relationships matter just as much as the idea itself.
5. Influence: Earn Buy-In through Insight, Evidence and Story
Pitching for funding has always been part of intrapreneurship. What has changed is how leaders expect ideas to be presented.
Today, strong advocacy looks like:
a clear articulation of the problem,
insight into customer needs,
small tests that demonstrate potential,
alignment with strategy, and
a compelling narrative that helps others see the opportunity.
Storytelling is no longer a soft skill. It is a strategic one. It shapes meaning, builds confidence and helps leaders see beyond the immediate pressures of the day.
6. Intrapreneurship and Culture: The Conditions Matter
Even the most capable intrapreneurs will struggle in a culture designed for compliance or control. In our work on organisational culture, we see this repeatedly: innovation thrives in environments where people have autonomy, psychological safety and a shared sense of purpose.
Organisations that operate like production lines tend to prioritise compliance over curiosity. Those that move toward more adaptive, people-centred ways of working create the conditions intrapreneurs need:
room to test,
permission to challenge,
clarity about customers, and
trust in their judgement.
Intrapreneurship is not an individual act. It is a cultural capability.
7. The Intrapreneur’s Inner Work
Finally, intrapreneurship requires self-awareness. People naturally hesitate to push ideas forward when they fear judgment, doubt their capability or worry about getting it wrong. These hesitations exist in every organisation.
The goal is not to eliminate doubt. It is to notice it, understand it and prevent it from making decisions on your behalf. Helping individuals understand their belief patterns can make a huge difference to the outputs delivered.
When people feel supported and equipped to step forward, their contribution changes. Their confidence grows. Their impact grows with it.
The Future of Intrapreneurship
Intrapreneurship is no longer the domain of the brave few. It is becoming a critical organisational capability - one that determines whether a business stays relevant, adapts to change and continues to create value.
It asks leaders to build cultures that support curiosity and autonomy.
It asks individuals to develop awareness, resilience and influence.
And it asks organisations to move from protecting what they have, to exploring what might be.
In a world where everything is shifting, intrapreneurs are not just helpful. They are essential.