By Ramkumar Seshu, Author of Born to Win – Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita
What if your workplace could feel like a place of purpose—not just pressure?
For over four decades, I’ve walked through the gates of manufacturing plants, corporate offices, and bustling service centres across India. The patterns are familiar—machines hum, people move swiftly, targets are chased. But every now and then, I meet a leader who’s tuned into something more profound than just operations.
That’s how I felt when I met Mr. S Sampathraman – Mr. Fantastic, the Founder and Madan Sampathraman the Director of DPK Engineers.
When Mr. Sampathraman invited me to work with his leadership team, he didn’t begin the conversation with revenue goals or technical challenges. He said something that stayed with me:
“Ram, I want my people to grow as the company grows.”
That one sentence told me everything I needed to know. This wasn’t just about improving performance—it was about creating a workplace where people could thrive.
At Born to Win, we don’t walk in with one-size-fits-all training modules. We listen. We observe. And most importantly, we believe that every organization already has greatness within—it simply needs to be unlocked.
With Madan Sampathraman and his team, we introduced our signature “Winning Edge”— experiential, hands-on leadership development process rooted in mindset transformation.
What unfolded was nothing short of beautiful.
A Workplace Reimagined
During our sessions, something subtle but powerful started shifting. The conversations became more collaborative.
That’s not a leadership KPI. That’s human magic. And it’s what workplace joy truly looks like.
The Deeper Meaning of Joy
Now, when I speak of joy in the workplace, I don’t mean bean bags or motivational posters. I’m talking about the quiet, fulfilling kind of joy that comes from feeling valued, contributing meaningfully, and growing with others.
What Madan created wasn’t accidental. He did three things consistently:
- Led with empathy – He listened more than he spoke. People felt valued.
- Connected work with purpose – Every team member understood why their role mattered.
- Built ownership – Teams didn’t wait for instructions. They started solving problems on their own.
The Ripple Effect
Within a few months, DPK Engineers didn’t just see process improvements. They saw people come alive. Meetings turned into idea incubators. Junior team members began mentoring each other. And morale? It soared.
The most important part? It all felt natural. Because when people feel trusted, they step up—not out of obligation, but from a place of pride.
If you’re a business owner or leader reading this, I invite you to pause for a moment and reflect:
What if your team felt this kind of ownership, trust, and quiet joy?
Because I’ve seen it—again and again. When people shift from “I have to” to “I want to”, the entire energy of the workplace transforms.
And when that shift is nurtured with the right tools and mindset, organizations don’t just grow—they flourish.
At Born to Win, we believe that every workplace can become a joyful one—not by chance, but by conscious design.
