🤣Howard Gardening Story #27 – Shraddha Jain (Aiyyo Shraddha): Aiyyo to Aha!

 

Shraddha Jain is a famous comedian, RJ, actor, director, editor, social media influencer….. with more than 10 lakh followers on Instagram and over 6 crore YouTube views.

She began as an engineer—coding at iGate in India, crunching numbers at Goldman Sachs in the USA—before spreading her wings to make the world laugh.

Now, imagine if HR at iGate had noticed her spark for comedy early on. What could they have done?

Picture this—Shraddha taking over the induction class for newcomers. Instead of dull PowerPoints, freshers would learn company culture through laughter, ice-breakers, and sketches. A boring orientation could have turned into a memorable bonding experience.

Or think of a CSR programme—employees hesitant to volunteer at a bird sanctuary on a Saturday. This is how Shraddha would have energised employees:

“Aiyyo! Listen, listen. Whole week you people sit in AC office, clicking mouse… double-clicking stress… and Ctrl+Alt+Del-ing your happiness. One Saturday, birds are inviting you to their office. Their office has no cubicles, only trees. No manager staring at you, only peacocks showing off. Free music from the koel—live concert, no ticket! And what will you do there? Just give some time, little seva, little care. The birds will not give you promotion, but trust me, your soul will get increment. Aiyyo, even the pigeons in your balcony are saying—go help our cousins, yaar!”

Suddenly, laughter would fill the room. The idea of volunteering wouldn’t feel like a chore anymore.

Friends, if you see any budding Aiyyo Shraddhas in your office, drag them to meet your HR and the CEO. They will love meeting her/ him.

🌱Howard Gardening Story #26 – Hiren: Transcendence in the Kitchen

 

Hiren is the Executive Director of his company.

He spends his weekdays with automotive products, dashboards and deadlines.

But come the weekend, he enters a completely different zone, fragrant with spices.

He doesn’t just cook.

He researches the science behind a dish, reflects on the method, and then crafts a plate of food like an artist — complete with a beautifully written reflection on why he chose that particular recipe and how he cooked.

And then we do what we always do.

We bang on his door — shamelessly — just to get a taste of the masterpiece he’s created.

“This is not cooking,” Hiren says.

 “This is my transcendental meditation.”

… we allow him to boast..

Here’s what makes the story special:

Hiren’s great-grandmother wrote a recipe book, probably a century ago, that became a must-read for every new bride.

So while love for cooking may not sit in his DNA strand, it clearly runs through his family thread.

Does his Head HR know about this secret skill?

“No,” he smiles. “I’ve kept it to myself. I don’t want it to become a community affair.”

My question to my HR/ CSR Leaders - 🧭 Should we let Hiren keep this joy to himself?

Or can we gently nudge him to share it — not for show, but to inspire?

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Just between us...

Howard Gardner would probably say, “I would classify Hiren’s brilliance under Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence — given how masterfully he moves in the kitchen.

But since he calls it transcendental meditation, I’ll let him believe it’s Intrapersonal Intelligence. 😉”

🏃 Howard Gardening Story #25 – Asit: The Runner, The Investor, The Inspiration

 

I first met Asit over two decades ago — a detail-oriented project manager who always had a warm word and quick wit. Now a Vice President elsewhere, his voice still brings me a daily dose of joy and reflection.

One story that never leaves me: he once told me about his manager’s ritual of doing a short meditation before each one-on-one meeting—especially performance reviews—treating them like a small ceremony of connection. That wisdom stayed with me.

But what truly defines Asit is how he brings heart and discipline into everything he does. Wherever he is in the world, he never misses his running routine. Not just for fitness, he builds running communities— and later became part of a largest residential community run to raise funds for charitable work in the areas of education and women empowerment. Imagine what this could do for workplace wellness!

And then there’s his other unexpected circle: personal finance. Asit created an investment community in our company, inviting experts to guide small groups. It wasn’t just about making money—it was about shared learning, empowerment, and financial confidence.

Though finance is deeply personal, employee-led groups like his could become invaluable CSR assets. Imagine financial coaching for underserved communities or creating savings tools for families in need.

Asit embodies Kinesthetic intelligence through running, and Logical-Mathematical intelligence through financial mentoring. I sense there’s more — creativity, strategic thinking, perhaps even more dormant talents waiting to bloom.

Dear HR and CSR Leaders —

Do you have an “Asit” in your midst — someone whose passions can seed community, wellness (Physical and Financial), and impact?

Would you give them the space to run your wellness mission forward?

And could they teach financial fitness to communities your organisation supports?

Because somewhere in your workforce, a next-generation Asit is waiting to lace up — and inspire.

🪡 Howard Gardening Story #24 – Lina: Threads of passion, Patterns of reinvention

 

“Why do you want to do a story on me — an old, almost 74-year-old grandma?” Lina laughed when I first reached out to her. But her eyes softened when I explained how inspired I was by her passion — quilt art.

Lina’s story begins in the world of IT, where she spent more than three decades working on technologies like PL/SQL and C Shell etc. 

It was in the late 1980s that she first stumbled upon quilt art, and something about it instantly stitched itself into her life. What began as a quiet curiosity soon became a lifelong devotion.

Today, Lina has created more than 100 quilts, each a unique expression of patience and imagination. Many of them have travelled across the US for exhibitions, admired not just for their craftsmanship but for the stories they hold. When I asked her if she sells them, she smiled gently: “Oh no. I make them as gifts, or sometimes for fundraising. They’re meant to give joy, not sit on a shelf with a price tag.”

Her creations range from nature-inspired patterns and one-colour wonders to geometric chevrons, animal motifs, and even portraits. Every quilt carries a little bit of her world stitched into it.

Did she ever bring quilting into her IT workplace? She chuckled. “Back then, people thought quilting was only a grandma’s pastime. It’s only now that it’s being seen as true art.”

And does her IT background play a role? “Absolutely,” she reflected. “Quilting is all about choices — fabric, thread, size, design. My logical thinking and project management skills definitely help.”

🌿 Dear HR Leaders — How many Linas are quietly pursuing hidden talents in your teams? Could their artistry find a place in your CSR and vocational education programs, inspiring the next generation to see beauty in unexpected skills?

🌟Howard Gardening Story #23 – Akash, shining beyond his role

 

Have you ever seen an employee shine in ways no role could define? Akash did.

Officially, he was our Business Development Director. But in truth, he was a powerhouse of ideas, energy, and inspiration.

One of his greatest gifts was Bushido—a code of conduct for people managers that he co-created with our L&D Head. Borrowed from the Japanese samurai tradition, it translated honor, loyalty, and self-discipline into practical leadership. A masterstroke.

I will always be grateful for his steady support while we built competency centres across countries like the Czech Republic, Morocco, and the Philippines. In moments of doubt, his confidence grounded me.

But Akash’s brilliance wasn’t confined to business. He was an environmentalist whose workshops left people transformed.

I remember with deep gratitude how Akash helped me when my book was stuck at the last mile. In that moment of self-doubt, he stepped in, volunteered to be my coach, and gently nudged me past the mental blocks that finally led me to finish my book.

Though a mechanical engineer by degree, his fascination with Synaptic Transmission—the nerve-cell language of consciousness and emotion—perhaps inspired his leap into founding a leadership development company.

💡 Akash reminds us that employees are more than job descriptions. They’re treasure chests of hidden intelligences.

So, HR/CSR friends, pick up your mining tools:

 ⛏ The Pickaxe of Listening to break through silence.

 🔦 The Lantern of Curiosity to reveal hidden passions.

 🪓 The Shovel of Encouragement to unearth brilliance.

Because somewhere in your organisation, the next Akash is waiting.

🎶Howard Gardening Story #22 – Sudhir, the Leader who sang his way into hearts

 

The first thing I remember about Sudhir, way back in 1996, is his humming. Always a Kishore Kumar tune on his lips.

Back then, he was a young technical team lead on our banking product. Today, he’s a Senior Vice President managing thousands. Yet his love for music — and Kishore da — remains unchanged.

Sudhir had a rare gift: he made people his fans forever. Even when he disagreed, he did it with grace. I still recall him scolding me for endlessly polishing a functional spec. His advice: “Don’t aim for perfect. Aim for done.”. That one line has stayed with me for decades.

As a people manager, he was exceptional — nurturing people with patience, clarity, warmth and a great sense of humour to lighten even a serious discussion. 

And music was always his bridge to connection.

Sudhir must have created hundreds of song videos by now. 

I remember once in our company’s basement parking place, I requested him to sing. Without hesitation, he launched into “Hum the, woh thi” from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi — an apt song for the surroundings!

He also led our in-house orchestra, Tarang. Every monthly townhall began with a song, Sudhir’s voice setting the tone. He even led us when we recorded our company anthem, composed by the celebrity Raghu Dixit.

That’s Sudhir — the leader, the singer, ‘star-maker’.

🎶 Question for HR & CSR Leaders:

How are you tapping into the “Sudhirs” in your workforce? Have you invited them to old age homes or community events you support? Imagine the joy they could create.

🏞️ Howard Gardening Story #21 – RSP and 221B Baker Street

 

🌟 Time for a corporate ‘fairy tale’
This story comes from a personalized book I created to honour Rajendra Singh Pawar (RSP). He is the Founder of NIIT and their CEO when I created this book.

It’s a story of what’s possible when we apply the Howard Gardner philosophy of multiple intelligences at work — and invite people to bring their full selves into the workplace.

Here it goes - 

One was fiction. The other, forgotten history.

In 2010, a unique tourist center opened in the village of Pabal — not by the government, but by employees of NIIT.

Its subject?
Not Sherlock Holmes.
But Mastani — 18th-century warrior, poet, and consort of Peshwa Baji Rao.

🌸 The idea was sparked years earlier, when RSP visited Vigyan Ashram, a rural innovation school.
Amid the tech marvels, it was the neglected grave of Mastani that haunted him.

“Why does no one know her story?” he wondered.

Back in office, two bold questions emerged:
1️⃣ Can our employees support this school?
2️⃣ Can we revive Mastani’s forgotten legacy?

The first got traction. The second seemed… impossible.

Until, over coffee in London, someone mentioned visiting 221B Baker Street.
RSP asked:

“If people queue up to see a fictional detective’s (Sherlock Holme’s) home …
why not honour a real warrior-poetess?”

🛠️ That spark lit a fire.

Volunteers across NIIT stepped up:
• Historians, designers, engineers, trainers — all self-organised.
• Sound & light shows, clean water, hospitality, storytelling — all built from within.
• Some even moved to Pabal for weeks.

🎉 On April 28, 2010, the Mastani Tourist Center opened.
📜 The village sarpanch received the ceremonial key.
A forgotten legend came alive.

This wasn’t CSR.
It was a cultural resurrection through corporate compassion.

🗝️ To HR & CSR leaders:
Your employees carry heritage, hope, and hidden heroes.
What forgotten treasure might they revive — if you simply said yes?

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Want the full story? You’ll have to charm RSP for his copy. 😉