Page 196 - Grow from Within Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Leadership from All Le vels 181

the lack of priority that existing businesses generally place on
new businesses. To some extent, this is both expected and rea-
sonable. Most people should spend most of their time on busi-
ness-as-usual challenges. The trouble occurs when new
businesses fail to receive what they need from others within
the company simply because of this prioritization process.
The solution to both active and passive constraints naturally
begins with the entrepreneurial team itself, but overcoming
these obstacles often requires involvement beyond top man-
agement. Corporate entrepreneurs must design their develop-
ment and launch plans with sensitivity to what the core
businesses require. It is unreasonable to ask an ongoing busi-
ness unit to pay special attention to an opportunity that will
not generate enough revenues or profits to help the unit meet
its long-term growth targets.
These threats can be partly managed by making clear,
strategic bets on emerging businesses in ways that signal to
the organization that the new business initiative is central to
the future of the company. However, even with a sufficient
budget and senior management endorsement, corporate entre-
preneurs often find it quite difficult to marshal the attention
and resources from across the firm that they need if they are
to succeed. Corporate entrepreneurs need attention in various
ways and at various times from most of the functions within
a firm.
Even in cases where firms construct dedicated, well-func-
tioning cross-functional teams with representatives from all rel-
evant functions, the corporate entrepreneurship team will
require attention from various members of line businesses and
corporate functions, not to mention external partners. This can
engender frustration and even resentment, because the new
business typically is not a top priority for people outside of the
core team. Everyone in the company already has a clearly