“Waste not, want not.” My mother said it all the time. “Don’t waste,” she’d remind me. And always, “There’s something to be thankful for.”

I’ve found that many serially successful intrapreneurs (SSIs) carry the same wisdom. They are the people who create new value inside companies by doing new things—or doing things in new ways—while improving systems along the way. Their secret? They put these lessons into action: don’t waste, and recognize the potential in overlooked assets.

Innovation Rooted in Stewardship

In my upcoming book, The Power of Hidden Treasures: How to Break Through Growth Barriers, Catapulting Your Business from Surviving to Thriving, I explore how the most successful innovators practice stewardship. They spot underutilized, undervalued, or forgotten assets—and transform them into growth opportunities.

Think about it: manufacturing “waste” from Oreo cookies became a lucrative product line. A seemingly risky idea from garbage truck drivers helped Waste Management renew multi-million-dollar city contracts. Employees once considered “diamonds in the rough” became key players in massive, complex projects.

The Three Ways of Serially Successful Intrapreneurs

The book outlines three “ways” SSIs follow to turn hidden or overlooked resources into tangible value:

The Way of Seeing

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This is all about perspective. SSIs:

• Reframe the Situation: Look for assets and opportunities, not just problems.
  
• Surface the Core: Identify the company’s heart and the key people involved.
  
• Spot Leaders: Recognize formal and informal leaders who can champion, operationalize, and spread the idea.
  
• Map Assets and Opportunities: Track resources and evolving possibilities, updating your map as projects progress.
  
  

A New Way of Seeing

The next time you encounter something others might dismiss as waste—or irrelevant—remember Mom’s advice. Look again. What you see could be the spark for your next big innovation.

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