Building Allies: How Intrapreneurs Find Their Tribe

Sarah Bodo
2 days ago
4 min read

Finding your people and building trust inside the system (Part 4 of 4)

Being an intrapreneur can feel lonely. You see opportunities others miss, and you challenge boxes that others want to protect. Without allies, that loneliness quickly turns into walls you cannot move on your own.

I was lucky early in my career to have a mentor who always challenged me to “draw it on the board.” Every time I walked into his office with a project, he asked: what’s the workflow? What’s the data flow? How does it connect to a business outcome? With him there, I never felt alone.

Later, when he retired, that changed. I was given big, challenging problems to solve, but now I had to walk into organizations that did not want to change. The resistance was real, and without someone behind me, I felt the weight of being the only one pushing.

The lesson was clear: intrapreneurship is never a solo act. Allies are not optional.

Why allies matter

From my own journey and my thesis research, I see allies as the difference between surviving and burning out.

Sponsors protect. They give you credibility when you are challenging someone’s box and stand behind the idea when resistance builds.
Peers support. Working across functions brings new perspectives, new data points, and makes scaling possible.
Mentors stretch. They ask the tough questions, expand your thinking, and help you grow.
End users ground you. Without their voices, you might solve the wrong problem.

Allies provide energy, credibility, and translation. They open doors you cannot open alone. And they keep you moving when antibodies pull you down.

What I learned about building tribes

I believe in interdependence — what my team once called my “fairy dust.” My role was often to bring people together, connect their perspectives, and help shape ideas so they could survive. Sometimes that meant creating a pitch deck in someone else’s shoes. Sometimes it meant coaching my team to put themselves into the mindset of the end user or the stakeholder. Innovation is never about one voice.

Over time, I also learned that collaboration needs boundaries. Being generous with ideas does not mean giving them away. True allies give credit, share responsibility, and help you grow. The moments where this balance was missing reminded me how important it is to speak up for my work, stay visible, and still keep my openness. Because real collaboration is not about losing your voice, but about strengthening it together.

What my research revealed

In my case studies, sponsorship stood out as absolutely critical. Without a strong sponsor who truly believed in the idea, intrapreneurs struggled to survive. When sponsorship changed, innovation often slowed or stopped completely.

Alliances across functions also made a difference. Finance may not sound like the natural ally for innovation, but they were critical when it came to credibility. Operations were key to scaling. Legal and IT could either become blockers or partners depending on when and how you engaged them.

One insight: leaders do not always need to create tribes for intrapreneurs, but they should not prevent them either. Networking and connecting across silos is part of survival. I learned to be proactive: every time I traveled for work, I made a list of people I wanted to meet in person. Those relationships became my tribe.

Survival guide: how to build allies

Find your tribe. Connect with people like you who are also pushing for change. Talking about challenges with peers gives energy and perspective.
Give before you ask. Think about what you can offer. Can you help them? Solve part of their problem? Relationships grow when they are mutual.
Start early, even with rough ideas. Do not wait until everything is perfect. Share sketches, drafts, and open questions. Allies often appear along the way.

For leaders, the survival guide looks different. Create forums where people can connect, such as mentorship programs or technical talent tracks. In one-on-ones, ask employees: what challenges are you facing, and who could help you with them? Then make the connections. This is how tribes form.

Reflection for you

If you are an intrapreneur: Who are your real allies? Do you have a sponsor who protects you? Are you giving as much as you are asking? Where can you build new bridges outside your comfort zone?
If you are a leader: Do your intrapreneurs have allies, or are they fighting battles alone? Which groups in your company could become better partners for innovation? How can you connect them? Remember, allies reduce fear and make antibodies less powerful.

Closing

Every breakthrough needs a tribe. Allies turn lonely efforts into collective movements. They protect, translate, and multiply your impact.

Innovation may start with an individual spark, but it only survives when others join the fire.

Keep building your tribe,

Sarah 🌊