BP on the level with its leaders : How a global company listened and learned from its supervisors

Purpose – The paper aims to review the latest management‐training development at energy‐company giant BP. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his own impartial comments and places two articles in context. Findings – Who are the most important people in a business? Those at the very top, making the big, important decisions that affect everyone in the organization, its customers and its performance? Or those at the “sharp‐end” – the ones who come into direct contact with the customers or suppliers either face‐to‐face or on the telephone and whose performance can give an immediate and long‐lasting good or bad impression of the company? Maybe the answer is neither. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced BP. Originality/value – Saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting the best, most pertinent information on the BP First Level Leaders development program and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.