Our Automotive team in Chennai, India, recently celebrated Ayudha Pooja — “worship of instruments” — as part of the Hindu festival Navaratri.

Ayudha Pooja is a time to give thanks and ask for the blessing of a safe work environment. The meaningful custom of pooja (Hindu worship) gives participants an opportunity to appreciate the tools and machines used in their professions and to recognize the divine force behind these objects that provides prosperity. To celebrate, all vocational tools are cleaned, polished, and then covered with turmeric and sandalwood paste. To invite positive energy and protection, a priest performs Homam, which includes spraying holy water on the machines and throughout the branch.

We invited a few of our employees to share their thoughts on the celebration:

P. Gnanaprakasam, Manufacturing Coach, shared, “For the past 13 years, we have celebrated Ayudha Pooja. It is a unique opportunity for our company to boost employee motivation and morale, as it creates a positive work environment among us. On this day, we thank our machines and tools, and we seek blessing for a safer work environment. I participated in Homam, and the divinity gave me a positive vibe.”

D. Santha Lakshmi, Quality Technician, shared, “Ayudha Pooja celebrations provide a break from the monotony of an everyday routine. We can have a good time and return to work the next day with a fresh mind. During Navaratri (Nine Days), we worshipped, sang, and decorated Golu. This gave us great happiness because we participated as a team. After the celebration, sweets were given to us, and we celebrated Ayudha Pooja at home.”

S. Praveen Kumar, Manufacturing Technician, shared, “The Ayudha Pooja celebration at our branch is a happy event. We prayed as a team—all functions came together, and the celebration made us like one family. It motivated us all. We also celebrated Ayudha Pooja with our families, using the sweets, puffed rice, and fruits given to us at our branch. This made our families happy!”

Check out some of the photos from our branch’s celebration below!

At L&P, we are proud to be a global company, employing people from many backgrounds and cultures. Our company values — Put People First, Do the Right Thing, Do Great Work Together, and Take Ownership and Raise the Bar — tie us together and guide us to be more connected, collaborative, and innovative.

As we continue sharing about our global mindset, we invited Samantha Lewis-Horner, Vice President of Human Resources, to share how she leads an international L&P team.

“When I joined L&P a year ago, it was clear to me that this is a global organization that values people,” said Samantha. “A global team brings diversity of thought and personality. We may think and act differently across cultures, but these differences are ultimately strengths that can bring benefit to the whole company.”

Samantha leads a team of HR leaders — Alan Ji, Clare Rees, Judith Kuhn, and Lori Kolodziej — located in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Alan works from China, and Lori works from the United States. Both Clare and Samantha are based in the United Kingdom, and Judith is based in Germany.

The team works closely with our specialized business units to provide global HR support that promotes growth through investing in our people, culture, and the processes that keep us competitive. Samantha Leads our specialized HR segment and is the strategic lead, along with Alan, Senior HR Director for Asia Pacific, for our Automotive business. Judith is the HR Director for Specialized Products in Europe and strategic HR lead for our Hydraulics business. Lori is the HR Director for Specialized Products in North America and strategic lead for our Aerospace business. Clare is a Senior HR Business Partner, driving Transformation and Capability improvements across our Specialized Products segment.

Every six weeks, Samantha hosts Listening at Leggett—an hour-long meeting without an agenda where the team can speak about any topic or issue.

“It’s important that we listen to our teams, no matter where they are in the world,” said Samantha. “We could all be better listeners, and we should be open to and listen to other people’s opinions. We only get the best ideas if everyone contributes.”

When asked how her team embraces a diversity of perspectives and ensures everyone stays engaged and connected, Samantha shared these key points with us:

• Create clarity and foster transparency and trust, especially around future plans.
• Be fair, consistent, and accountable.
• Share and celebrate success.
• Use available collaboration tools to check in.
• Respect people’s time and time zones.

We’re really grateful to this team for putting people first, doing great work together, and enriching our global mindset!