🏞️ 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. 😉

🌿 Howard Gardening Story #20 — Umesh, the Icebreaker Artist

 

I found Umesh through a Google search. I was hunting for an artist for our Indo–French management conclave — and I struck gold.

Here’s the backstory:
Our French division’s management team was visiting to meet us, their Indian counterparts. Their goal was to break the ice and gauge comfort levels for collaboration.

I thought — why not get both teams to create something together? Painting, perhaps? The hotel staff wasn’t keen on an indoor setup, so after some persuasion, we moved it to the lawns. 

The French coordinator wasn’t thrilled about altering her meticulously planned itinerary, but I convinced her to give me just 120 minutes — right in the beer break. She agreed.

That’s when Umesh entered the picture. Passionate about painting, Umesh worked for Mindtree then as a UX expert.

Umesh thought my idea of 30 people painting a single canvas was crazy. Eventually, we agreed: one team would recreate Monet’s ‘Impression, Sunrise’, while the other painted Umesh’s ‘Fisherwoman’.

The result was pure magic. People could not believe that they, together, painted two awesome paintings in just two hours, thanks to Umesh’s guidance.

I still remember our CHRO proudly holding ‘Fisherwoman’, the French Marketing Head recreating her on the canvas while our Indian Finance Head holding the water bowl for her, waiting for his turn to paint; And the two CEOs pouring beer for everyone. 

Ice-breaking doesn’t get better than that.

Umesh, you gave your time and talent — for a total stranger, for free — and created a memory that still makes me smile.

💡 HR & CSR Leaders — One external artist changed the entire mood of a cross-cultural meeting. Imagine what a community of artists inside your organisation could do for culture, engagement, and CSR.

🌿 Howard Gardening Story #19 — Subhash, the many shades of my hero

 

Subhash was my childhood friend — and our hero. In college, he seemed unstoppable: university volleyball captain, bodybuilding champion, cricket team leader, and a top student to boot. His energy lit up every field he stepped onto.

Then life took us our separate ways. For 35 years, we lost touch.

When we finally met again, I could hardly believe the transformation. The sportsman I knew had become a charismatic singer — cowboy hat, hunter boots, and all. He wasn’t just performing; he was leading music groups where even shy, hesitant voices found courage. Subhash mentored them with patience, humour, and infectious enthusiasm. His events became confidence factories, where people proudly showcased talents they never knew they had.

But his gift went deeper. Subhash began visiting hospitals and homes, singing for critical patients — sometimes to a small group, sometimes one-on-one. For those who had lost hope, he offered something precious: moments of joy, dignity, and human connection. I saw eyes light up, hands tap along, and faces soften.

It’s fascinating how people evolve. In his youth, Subhash’s strength lay in kinesthetic intelligence; later, musical intelligence; and today, interpersonal intelligence that heals hearts. If you form different communities within your organisations, I guess Subhash will move from one community to the other seamlessly, adding value to each cohort.

Imagine if HR captured such evolving passions within their workforce. Employees like Subhash could enrich both employer branding and CSR initiatives — from team engagement to community outreach.

To HR and CSR leaders: Could there be a Subhash in your ranks right now, waiting to reveal a new shade? Are you giving them the space to shine?