Building Extraordinary Leaders at Jotun

When a century-old manufacturing company bets its future on people—not products—something remarkable happens. In this case study, we share how Jotun, the Norway-based, family-owned global paints and coatings company operating in 100+ countries, transformed its leadership culture using Zenger Folkman’s The Extraordinary Leader™ program. Partnering with Arcadia Consulting, Jotun moved from a baseline well below industry average to outperforming peers, all by doubling down on a strengths-based approach to leadership. The result? In just five years, leadership effectiveness climbed from the 33rd to the 50th percentile, and the number of leaders with standout strengths nearly doubled. The takeaway: when organizations anchor growth in strengths and measure progress with data, they don’t just build better leaders—they build a stronger business. If you’re looking for evidence that a strengths-based, feedback-driven approach delivers measurable impact, this study shows exactly how Jotun did it—and how any organization can do the same.