Norsepower is a pioneering company in its field, specializing in designing and manufacturing rotor sails for ships. Rotor sails are composite material cylinders installed on a ship’s deck and powered by electric motors. These rotors harness wind-generated pressure differences to create thrust. As a result, a ship’s propeller power can be reduced, leading to lower fuel consumption and, consequently, decreased carbon dioxide emissions. Rotor sails can be retrofitted onto existing vessels, and an increasing number of new ships are being designed to accommodate them.
Norsepower has experienced significant growth. As the company expanded, the need arose to establish a unified leadership approach, as the number of leaders increased. Additionally, there was considerable variation in leadership experience among leaders, ranging from seasoned leaders to those just beginning their leadership careers.
Operating globally, the company has its headquarters in Helsinki and a manufacturing facility in China. To ensure consistency in leadership culture across international operations, both top leadership team and leaders in both countries participated in the training program.
The objectives of the training were to:
• Strengthen a shared understanding of leadership based on selected core values
• Translate the desired leadership culture into concrete leadership principles
• Support the adoption and practical implementation of these leadership principles
Leadership Philosophy: Balancing People, Business, and the Future
Norsepower’s leadership training initiative was based on CEO Heikki Pöntynen’s leadership philosophy, which focuses on three key areas: business, people, and the future. These elements form a “leadership triangle,” where maintaining balance among them is essential.
According to Norsepower’s Chief Customer Operations Officer (CCOO), Jukka Kuuskoski, the training was well-designed and tailored to the company’s specific needs:
“The coach effectively utilized the CEO’s leadership philosophy as the foundation of the training, keeping the leadership triangle as a guiding principle throughout the entire project.”
The progress of the training was monitored and planned during steering group meetings held between workshops. “The coach’s professionalism was evident both in their ability to establish reliable routines and in their flexibility to adapt the training as the project evolved. They effectively recognized different situations and allowed space for discussions when needed,” Jukka explains.
The Importance of Collaboration and Communication Cannot Be Overstated
The training led to several key insights, particularly regarding the role of communication and information-sharing in leadership. “In any size organization, silos can form, and people may not fully appreciate the value and significance of collaboration,” Jukka notes. He continues: “For example, organizations often hold many meetings, but do we truly reflect on their effectiveness and quality in terms of information-sharing and teamwork?”
Participants also gained a deeper understanding of the leadership role and the importance of considering people holistically. At Norsepower, the training is viewed as a foundation for further leadership development. Recognizing individual differences is one of the cornerstones of effective leadership, and every leader has room to grow and learn in this area. Leaders are also encouraged to seek peer support more actively.
Values and Leadership Themes Are Actively Discussed
Following the training program, Norsepower introduced regular “leadership update” sessions, where various leadership-related themes are explored. Employees are encouraged to bring their own topics to the discussions, fostering open dialogue.
Additionally, the company reinforces its core values in monthly “staff update” meetings, where employees assess how well the values are being upheld, using real-life examples.
Overall, Jukka believes the training successfully advanced the goal of unifying leadership practices. However, cultural differences between Finland and China remain a significant factor, particularly in organizational hierarchy. “In China, we are focusing on fostering proactiveness and distributing responsibility across all organizational levels. For example, workplace safety and quality are responsibilities shared by everyone,” Jukka explains.
As Norsepower is now in a “consolidation phase” on its growth journey it is an ideal time to invest in leadership and organizational culture development. However, the next phase of growth is already on the horizon, as the market potential for a pioneering rotor sail company remains vast.
Image Sources: Norsepower
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