PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the ways and means of creating value and delivering it through people centric initiatives that look beyond technology and reach out to people as instruments in creating a profitable, harmonious and vibrant organization.Design/methodology/approachA case study illustrates strategies of a transformational leader to turnaround an organization, whose survival was at stake, with the help of employees by unleashing their potential and communicating the vision, goals, mission and financial health of the organization.FindingsThe paper presents practical case study material from Rourkela Steel Plant – an integral part of Steel Authority of India Limited. It gives a comprehensive picture of employee centric change interventions and reforms that were the epicenter of the turnaround strategies and helped the organization towards recovery and growth after incurring heavy losses. A set of carefully designed workshops provided the framework for the involvement, motivation and engagement of people, which led to the building of a customer responsive, quality conscious, responsible and committed organizational culture.Originality/valueThis paper ascertains some of the key initiatives for value creation and delivery by involving the vital resources of the organization as illustrated by the case study. It demonstrates a number of practical tools HR professionals can utilize to create a vibrant organizational culture that facilitates free flow of ideas and taps the energy, commitment and imagination of employees, in order to increase productivity, profitability and performance of the organization.