Jotun Builds Extraordinary Leadership Across Global Markets

As a Norwegian family-owned global paints and coatings company, Jotun has always been guided by its core values of Loyalty, Boldness, Care, and Respect. As they expanded into more than 100 countries, leadership capability became central to sustaining that success. They needed a consistent, data-driven approach to strengthen both results orientation and people leadership—and to prepare emerging leaders earlier in their careers.

In partnership with Arcadia Consulting and Zenger Folkman, Jotun launched a multi-tiered leadership academy integrating The Extraordinary Leader 360-degree Assessment. The program empowered leaders to focus on their most powerful strengths rather than simply fixing weaknesses. Each participant received personalized, data-backed insights across 19 competencies, along with development guides and structured feedback sessions. Senior sponsorship was critical—Jotun’s CEO and top executives complete the 360 assessment every 18–24 months, modeling continuous growth. The program now reaches multiple career stages through test–retest assessments, helping leadership development become a lasting habit.

Jotun’s leadership transformation has been both measurable and cultural. Leadership effectiveness scores improved from the 33rd to the 50th percentile. The proportion of leaders with two or more standout strengths (≥75th percentile) rose from 18% to 35%—a 52% increase in leadership capability. These gains translated into stronger employee engagement, better collaboration, and sustained business growth. As Alistair Skellern describes it, “When employees experience extraordinary leadership, they won’t tolerate less. Expectations rise—and that’s when transformation becomes self-sustaining.” Jotun’s leadership principles now span the entire employee lifecycle—from hiring and promotion to succession planning. With leadership excellence embedded in culture, the company achieved record-high sales and earnings in 2025, even amid global uncertainty.