Transforming leadership in the oil and gas industry for a sustainable future

Client need 

The energy industry is undergoing a seismic shift. While demand for oil and gas remains strong, the pressure to move toward more sustainable, low-carbon solutions is intensifying. Investors, regulators, and customers are no longer asking if energy companies will evolve—they’re asking how fast. 

For one global oil and gas company, the message was clear: the future could not be postponed. To compete—and lead—they needed to reinvent how the business worked while continuing to deliver results today. 

They committed to three urgent goals: 

• Boost  business results in an increasingly volatile market
  Rising geopolitical tensions and market fluctuations had made financial resilience a top priority. The company needed to protect short-term performance without slowing long-term transformation. 

• Grow revenue from low-carbon and non-traditional businesses
  The energy landscape is shifting. The company had to accelerate innovation and build new revenue streams to stay relevant as global demand evolves. 

• Achieve net-zero carbon emissions
  Net-zero had become more than a climate commitment—it was a requirement for credibility and continued license to operate. 

Each goal reflected a broader truth: transformation wasn’t a future project for a small team. It had to happen now, across the business, and especially at the front line. 

Frontline Managers were identified as the critical force to make that happen. These leaders oversee the people, operations, and decisions that drive day-to-day impact. But they were being asked to do something new: lead through complexity, align their teams around change, and deliver both performance and progress. 

To make that possible, the company turned to BTS—partnering to equip Frontline Managers with the skills, confidence, and mindset to lead the energy transition from within. 

Solution 

To turn strategy into action, the company partnered with BTS to design a four-month leadership journey tailored to one goal: empowering Frontline Managers to lead the energy transition—while delivering on today’s business needs. 

The program focused on building the capabilities these leaders needed most: 

• Operational acumen to drive performance and efficiency 

• Leadership presence to inspire teams and manage through uncertainty 

• Ownership of sustainability goals—not as an add-on, but as part of everyday decision-making 

• Communication and collaboration skills to align cross-functional efforts 

To ensure relevance, BTS conducted in-depth interviews with leaders across the business. These insights shaped a high-impact experience that blended digital learning, in-person workshops, and real-world application. 

The journey included: 

• Self-assessments to surface strengths, gaps, and set individual goals 

• A custom digital platform for on-demand learning, peer discussions, and progress tracking 

• Live kickoff session to align on the company’s sustainability strategy and what it demanded of leaders 

• In-person and virtual workshops focused on influence, decision-making, and leading through complexity 

• A gamified business simulation where teams tackled realistic sustainability tradeoffs in a dynamic, risk-reward environment 

• Multiple customized self-paced learning modules to reinforce concepts in flexible, scalable ways 

• On-the-job ‘Go-Dos’—practical leadership actions supported by coaching to drive daily impact 

• A culminating face-to-face session with senior leaders to reflect, celebrate progress, and sustain momentum 

This immersive, behavior-focused approach ensured that Frontline Managers didn’t just learn about sustainability leadership—they practiced it, owned it, and brought it to life in their roles. 

Results 

What started as a leadership program became a catalyst for culture change—activating thousands of leaders to drive the company’s transformation from the ground up. 

• Scale:  More than 1,500 frontline leaders nominated for this journey 

• Engagement: 96% of participants completed the journey 

• Execution: 96% Go-Do completion rate—showing strong follow-through on application of learnings from the workshops into real-world actions 

• Satisfaction: Overall rating of 4.45/5 and a Net Promoter Score of 73 

One of the most immediate shifts? Communication. Participants repeatedly cited improved connection and alignment with their teams as a critical outcome: 

“The workshops made communication with my team smoother—I now understand their styles better.” 

“Recognizing different communication styles improves strategic thinking and teamwork.” 

By investing in the people closest to the work, the company is proving that meaningful transformation doesn’t start at the top—it scales from the center. And with each cohort, they’re not just talking about change. They’re leading it.