KOCHI: After an eventful two decades in the Indian Navy, of that seven as a submarine captain, Commander (Retired) Rajesh Ramkumar thinks its time to give back. The priceless lessons in leadership, that he imbibed and imparted over the years under the ocean, were too valuable to let go, that Rajesh decided to pass them on to young minds. Thus was born Yes 63, his venture wherein he provides experiential coaching in leadership to corporate groups, hospitals, colleges and schools. 

One may be forgiven for thinking that making crucial decisions and mentoring the sharp minds inside a submarine has little to do with today's corporate culture, but Rajesh says they are invariably linked. "In both, you 'lead' the men but 'manage' the system. In a submarine, the result of a decision might be amplified, but other than that leading a team is more or less the same everywhere," says the motivational speaker.

When he embarked on the mission a year ago, Rajesh was aware of the popular notions surrounding such sessions. Such that, he was adamant on not using the word 'training'. "My work has little to do with 'training'. Nor is it a power-point presentation. I focus on engaging the participants through story-telling," he says, adding how most people down Kerala tend to underestimate the significance of such sessions. "The popular notion is to tag such talks as 'lectures'. I once had to take a session which had an 83-year-old reluctant participant. After an hour, the man began to warm up and enjoy it. My sessions are about interacting and engaging," says Rajesh. 

As corporatisation takes over work culture in Kerala, Rajesh thinks breathing down people's neck would no longer work. "One lesson we learn whilst working in a submarine is how everything depends a lot on getting to know each other. Knowing each other in a team has a huge effect on increasing productivity. Another important factor is physical activity. An active mind will always positively affect thinking," he says.

Clearly, this leadership coach's favourite idea is to impart the lessons to children. He loves sharing with them how as a four-year-old, he watched a movie on submarines and ever since wanted to work inside one. 

"I tell them to have a dream. And to work towards achieving it, as a team. If you want to have a goal, all other resources will align themselves in accordance with it," Rajesh saysence, cheering and presence of many enthusiasts gave me the push to complete a mission in the game,” says Samarth who go y family,” he shares.

He has always been able to juggle between his profession as a photographer, and his passion for  gaming. He regularly visits gaming centres and cyber cafes regularly to keep himself updated on new launches and games.