Same thing applies in big companies. Many great leaders start in the factories, or as junior assistants straight out of school. P&G is one of the better firms

Same thing applies in big companies. Many great leaders start in the factories, or as junior assistants straight out of school. P&G is one of the better firms at creating a cadre of general managers who start in entry level positions. These are people who learn how to build brands from the bottom. Even still, they seem to botch a CEO promotion here and there. GE tends to do this pretty well too. You can see it by how highly regarded their "Almost CEO" execs are.