Page 167 - Grow from Within Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation

154 grow from within

sophisticated management tools, and undertaking expensive
demonstrations. Absent such consistent and visible CEO sup-
port, a corporate entrepreneurship effort may need to be
designed more conservatively.
Corporate entrepreneurship efforts are almost always vul-
nerable to successions in leadership and changes in the
prospects of the core business. And executive commitment
alone cannot make things happen. Leadership will not improve
the prospects for corporate entrepreneurship success if suffi-
cient effort has not been undertaken to characterize, under-
stand, and address knowledge gaps or to manage expectations.
The problem of moving forward with corporate entrepreneur-
ship in the face of less-than-vigorous (or misguided) top exec-
utive support is discussed in Chapter 5.
In general, we have observed that companies that are con-
sidering a corporate entrepreneurship endeavor generally
undertake the following steps, which we will discuss in turn.

• Point the way. Articulate a strategic vision for growth that
is consistent with the core capabilities that corporate
entrepreneurship can leverage.
• Delineate objectives. Start with a small team to clearly
define and communicate the company’s objectives for
corporate entrepreneurship.
• Neutralize the naysayers. Build corporate and divisional
leadership consensus through extensive communication.
• Select and support a corporate entrepreneurship model.
Companies need to select the right model (Enabler,
Advocate, or Producer), develop a team with the required
capabilities, and provide the necessary resources.
• Start with quick wins. It’s important to build credibility
with tangible performance early on and to learn lessons to
protect programs from marginalization or cancellation.