The Power Of Leverage And Leadership

Objective Of The  Course

1. To help trainees who want to be intrapreneurs have the mindset to drive innovation and uncover opportunities within the challenges of operating in a developing country.
2. To create and run he cycle of creativity, innovation, and problem-solving can be fruitful across departments and disciplines.
3. To help intrapreneurs test their innovations and demonstrate the viability of their approach at a larger perspective.

Brief Tips on Intrapreneurs

• “Intrapreneurs”–working from within a company who are accelerating change while continuing to drive business benefits. Intrapreneurship is the key to meeting these expectations while maintaining business value for an organization. In leveraging the creativity and innovation of intrapreneurs, there is need to change the way things are being operated while maintaining a clear focus on our business imperatives.
• Economic constraints are forcing even large, established companies to act in a manner akin to the startup phase of much younger organizations; they’re leveraging the creativity and passion of their people to become more dynamic, more innovative, and more agile.
• The intrapreneurial mindset helps drive innovation and uncover opportunities within the challenges of operating in a changing world. Many of these challenges are best tackled with integration across the business, and intrapreneurs–being tinkerers, brainstormers and ideas-sharers–are the most likely individuals to reach out and engage their peers in problem-solving across the company.

LEVERAGE

The ability to influence a system, or an environment, in a way that multiplies the outcome of one’s efforts without a corresponding increase in the consumption of resources. In other words, leverage is the advantageous condition of having a relatively small amount of cost yield a relatively high level of returns Simply put, it means using something to maximum advantage. To use something that you already have in order to achieve something new or better. It could also be defined as the power to influence people and get the results you want. Whichever way you deem more appropriate, the bottom-line is you are doing something to get a result. Now will it be appropriate to consider some things that could be leveraged and what leveraging them is all about

1. REPUTATION

Have you had an opportunity to lead some where? Have you been saddled with responsibility of taking up a task? It is a good one at the moment, but then the moment isn’t the end. Many misbehave in organizations , i  mean positions of authority because they see it as a thing of the moment. But as much as the present moment matters, the moments to come matter most. “He once served as the leader of this sub-group, the secretary of this organization, even the senior prefect in secondary school”, that is talking about the reputation. Making conscious effort to make the best use of this opportunity for the years that lies ahead will be a good one, then proudly referencing such in later days, which of course will be possible if the first aspect of doing good is met, will be tantamount to leveraging one’s reputation.

2. TIME

 

A wonderful way of leveraging time is by delegating tasks to subordinates; employees, younger ones, children, assistants or other business partners and associates. Take a thorough assessment of your life and determine where your input is of great benefit; where you bring the most value to your family, career and importantly your business. When you discover this, invest your energy to those tasks that require the advanced skills which are your strength, then allow people around you(most likely subordinates) to take on the rest. Whatever job/project/product you are to carry out, you need not overburden yourself with all the workload while taking forever to complete, assign work appropriately to others and make it known that you are in charge from the onset for a smooth running as well as getting credit for your work.

Another incredible way to gain time is by grouping several similar activities that have the same goal together. When you are cooking a meal now, preparing for the next night dinner will be a great idea. The two are in tune and nothing’s out of place.

3. EDUCATION

Institutions are citadels of learning where knowledge is acquired. You might be out of school and your education may have ended, but have you explored the benefits it still offers? Most universities, colleges and other institutions of learning, as well as professional bodies organize and present lectures, retreats, seminars and even travel opportunities that are exclusive to people of those communities and closed off to the public. Taking advantage of these opens you to the cutting edge in research and experiences brought to life by experts.

Taking online courses like Digital Skills 101 ; an online course which is targeted to help trainees understand the digital world. The networking opportunities your past education and current, possibly vibrant, local alumni chapter has to offer is a great one. Little wonder why most social networks especially LinkedIn which helps a lot with career requires educational background, institutions attended and the likes. They know job recruiters and business owners have an eye for anything to connect with a job candidate. Exploring the common experience, things similar to the group, helps them evaluate whether they’re a fit for the company or not.

4. ACHIEVEMENT

It almost natural to get carried away when we have a breakthrough in life as humans; lost in the joy and a sense of fulfillment that an achievement brings. We take time to ourselves celebrating. “Oh yeah I made it! This calls for celebration!! I deserve a time off for a job well done!!!” This is not bad in itself but at the same time not for the greater good. While you may see an achievement as an hallmark of success in itself, consider if this singular and limited win could be spread to other aspects.

It will be good to consider the lives of celebrities as it relates to brands, companies and establishment. There comes a time in the lives of celebrities when the skyrocketing popularities begins to *dwindle*, tending towards zero. And of course no one reigns forever. There have been stories of many celebrities who negotiate a good deal with companies at the peak of their career and were able to make a fortune for themselves because they were the people’s favourites. Companies were willing to meet with their demands to be their ambassadors or for other promotional purposes as a result of their achievement but there always come a time when some young stars arise and attentions will be shifted from “the people of old.” Those that will make the best use of their shinning days always will as well have a fortune to fall back to in their later days.

It is worth noting that there is a reward for an achievement, which of course many will be contented with. Then comes the bigger picture of using this as a means of achieving something even bigger.

5. SKILLS AND TALENTS

While it is indeed fantastic to be talented, there are stories of people who squandered it. Talent without hard work doesn’t take a man far. It is one of the reasons while a student will be regarded as “the most likely to succeed in school” because of the talent but some years to come the same far behind the one no one reckons with during school days on the ladder of success. Individuals who take their talent for granted and fail to make an investment of it miss the opportunities that come along in one’s career. Leverage your talent and acquire more skills, expanding your knowledge base by adding to them continually.

In this present age, nothing stays static especially in the digital world. There are new innovations, inventions and even betterment of the existing ones at short intervals. Are there tools that you can use very well today and you are in fact making a living out of it? Why not seek knowledge of others, explore and have a robust knowledge base. The digital world is all about trending. That which is trending today might not be tomorrow. Aside that, an opportunity might come your way that require that skill your are looking down on today and then it might be late to adjust.

The saying holds true that “Luck is opportunity meeting preparation” – BE WELL PREPARED.

6.  CONNECTIONS

Having the mind of benefiting from someone as the main purpose of befriending them is indeed not a good ground on which friendship should stand, but the fact remains that friends come handy in times of need. When it comes to being well informed, connections play a vital role. An opportunity pops up at a friend’s place of work, he will be happy to let you know first either as a kind gesture, a returned favour or even because their level of trust in you is high and they will prefer you have the job rather than an outsider. Information can save lots of time and headache. The opportunity you have been looking for a long while ago, surfing the net for job openings and the like are handed over on a platter of gold by friends in lots of cases. Before the advert hits the market you already know, that gives you an upper hand plus the fact that some will not even come to the public hearing.

Friends could be willing to hand you a recommendation letter which might save the day. Humans tend to trust someone recommended by a person of high esteem that someone just coming out of the dark without any recommendation.

So instead of withdrawing to your shell all the times, why not brace up, cheer up and make friends, get connected more to the right people.

 

LEADERSHIP

 

One will define leadership as the action of leading a group of people or an organization, or the ability to do so. Another will say leadership is the ability of an individual to influence and guide followers or other members of an organization.

But to think of it at the preliminary level before a person can lead in any capacity, such must have follow in some ways be it directly or indirectly in the same field. In order word, a very good understanding of the essence of a group or an organization is one thing that makes a leader of such a gathering. Leadership demands of a leader to be able to instruct, guide, explain using examples and answer questions, even difficult ones about the business or dealings of a gathering.

It will then be appropriate to say leadership is product of “followership”. One could argue that intrapteneurs are responsible for much of the innovation we see taking place in organizations today, particularly when leaders create an environmental culture within the enterprise that fosters and encourages “out of the box” thinking (a substantially over-used term, but relevant nonetheless). Subsequently, one could also cast intrapreneurism as an effective tenet in leadership development…

Foster a culture where everyone has the responsibility and voice to identify opportunities to create shared value. Infuse this approach into your hiring practices and start building an employee base that is innovative and agile.

Inspire people and offer them exposure to resources, trends, insights, and best practices that can accelerate their work. Leverage the power of grassroots movements within your company; let ideas bubble up from within and engage local office champions to encourage their peers and be voices for action.

Recognize  best practices and provide yourself and organization with exposure to  have uncovered innovations; where possible, provide access to decision makers within the company that have the ability to pave the way for greater adoption of new ideas.

I trust you learnt some new thing about the power of leverage and also leadership.

Task of The Day:

Write your feedback about just one challenge encountered by intrapreneurs in Nigeria and suggest your own way of solving it.

Have a great day.