Howard Gardening Story #1 – Shaju and the missed bloom

Some people don’t just take photographs.

They wait. They study. They become the lens.

Shaju was a software developer in our company then (now a big man 😆 ). But behind the code, he was a nature photographer of exceptional dedication. Once he chose a location, he would research the light, the timing, the terrain… sometimes for days. And when he clicked — it wasn’t just a picture. It was reverence.

We invited him into our employee photography circle.

His work inspired competitions, sparked pride, and even had us dreaming.

Could we create a photo library of employee art — a visual archive for business presentations?

A way to tell our story through our people’s eyes?

But like many good things in corporate life, it remained a dream. Deadlines came. Priorities shifted. And the library never took root.

Looking back, I realize: Shaju’s passion held the potential to uplift our brand, our CSR, and our soul.

I saw the spark. But I didn’t fuel it enough to make a flame out of it.

Today, I’m retired. I can’t create that library anymore.

But maybe you can.

📣 To HR leaders reading this:

You don’t need to invent magic.

Just spot it. Support it. Let it grow.

You have a beautiful opportunity to be remembered — not just for building careers, but for enabling legacies.

I am eager to hear stories from you too.

BTW this intelligence of Shaju’s is called Spatial intelligence as per Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences.