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When it comes to a career in high-tech, many of us dream about creating the “next big thing.”&lt;p&gt;It doesn’t matter if you’re a researcher, a developer, a manager, a salesperson, a marketer, or a field engineer. Any high-tech career exposes you to the break-neck pace of technological advancement.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Have you ever had a great idea? Are you certain that your inventions would be profitable? Do you want to lead a team that delivers game-changing technology to customers?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If so, I have a unique piece of advice for you. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fresh out of school or an industry veteran. &lt;em&gt;My advice is to join a large, global, high-tech company.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This type of advice runs against the grain of conventional thinking. Common wisdom dictates that dreamers deliver their inventions as entrepreneurs at a small start-up. That may still be true, but don’t overlook the equally valid career path of the &lt;strong&gt;intrapreneur&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;An intrapreneur, simply put, delivers ideas within a large corporation. You may have a long list of issues and concerns with this career path, including:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;• Will my ideas get lost in a large company?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;• Won’t my manager prevent me from doing what I want?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;• How can I influence the executives that make all of the high-level decisions?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;• Don’t large companies move too slowly?&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;These are all valid questions. Fortunately, I have answers. I’m living proof that a person in the trenches of a large corporation can invent and deliver. I’ve done it time and time again.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s all a matter of building influence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are three key behaviors that allow an intrapreneur to build influence. They are:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;Productivity: Corporations put their faith in people that know how to deliver.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;Initiative: People that deliver earn the freedom to invent on company time.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;Collaboration: Inventors rely on others to help deliver their ideas.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p&gt;Intrapreneur = Productivity + Initiative + Collaboration.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Still believe that being an entrepreneur is the best career choice? You may be missing out on the best part of intrapreneurship: the chance to collaborate as part of a global team. Start-ups are geographically limited, but any large corporation worth its salt must have a global footprint in order to survive.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On this blog I’ll be covering the “tricks of the trade” when it comes to global, high-tech innovation. Welcome! It’s my hope that you too will learn how to Innovate With Influence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Steve &lt;br /&gt;http://stevetodd.typepad.com&lt;br /&gt;Twitter: @SteveTodd&lt;br /&gt;EMC Intrapreneur &lt;/p&gt;

Steve Todd

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