Leadership Case Studies

 

Our leader, Dr. Ram Hari Lamichhane, is a modern leader of Nepal who aspires to change the lives of many young Nepalese men and women looking to join the work force. The goal of Dr. Lamichhane is to be a successful professional contributing and sharing the knowledge and skill acquired during the three decade of work to the development of Educational, tourism, youth employment and enterprise sector of Nepal and the region. Visit the Teachers Page of our WebQuest to learn more about Ram's vision for Youth Career Advancement Centers in Nepal.

 Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (1914–1982) 

Background	Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala was born in Nepal and had a long history of politics running through his family’s blood. In 1917 he and his family began 12 years of exile in India where he formed camaraderies with such notable figures as Ghandi. In 1947, BP founded the Nepali National Congress, which became the Nepali Congress Party in 1950. BP wanted to end the Rana Regime and bring Democratic Socialism to Nepal. His aspirations led to a series of arrests and imprisonments but in 1951 he led the armed revolution that finally overthrew the regime.Iin December of 1960, the King Mahendra led a bloodless coup d’état against BP with the help of the army. BP was imprisoned without trial for nearly 8 years but even after his release he never gave up his call for democracy. He spent most of his remaining life in exile or under house arrest.
Main Achievement	BP was the first democratically elected Prime Minister (1959) after leading an armed revolution against the oligarchy Rana Regime. He had lofty aspirations for the improvement of the people of Nepal. Some notable agenda items included: Land and agrarian reform, infrastructure development, reform of administration and prison conditions, developing a free and independent Judiciary system, building up of a police force, eradication of corruption, and promotion of health care facilities and education.
Legacy	During his lifetime, is widely heralded as a champion for the people of Nepal. He believed in Democratic Socialism to improve the common good of all Nepalese civilians and outlined clear and systematic plans to achieve this. BP sacrificed his personal freedom to fight for his beliefs and upon his death (1982), nearly half a million people attended his funeral.
Leadership Traits	One of BP’s most prominent traits was he ability to communicate an extensive vision for the future of a free Nepal. As a renowned Nepalese author, BP used his eloquence to inspire and educate people. He was a committed, compassionate, self-giving, educated, and courageous symbol of leadership in Nepal.

Sources: (Guha, 2001), (Udash, 2008)

Bhimsen Thapa (1775-1839)

 

Background	1775-1839 First Prime Minister of Nepal He is regarded as one of the National heroes of Nepal. Son of a soldier Served as King Rana Bahadur's personal secretary at the age of 22 in Varanasi, India Studied the expansion and true intentions of the British East India Company in South Asia
Main Achievement	He became the first Prime Minister of Nepal upon his (and the king's) return to the country (from Varanasi) after the monarch of Nepal was assassinated by his own half brother. After the assassination,  Bhimsen Thapa made sure to have all of the monarch’s friends killed to decisively end the regime He appealed all South Asian states to fight collectively against the British and declared war on the English East India Company in 1816 and was both the commander of the army and the Prime Minister They lost, but he continued to rule for another 13 years whence he brought about several military, judicial, social and economic reforms in Nepal Modernized army into European style after the loss
Legacy	Karl Marx praised Bhimsen Thapa by referring him the only man in Asia who braved to protest submission to the colonists He was forced to commit suicide because of attempting to change the status quo Modernized the Nepalese army
Leadership Traits	Autocratic, task oriented, directing &  innovative His performance in the war against the English East India Company proves Fiedler’s model--when you have a task leader leading with an ambiguous structure/LMR then you will not perform efficiently

Madan Bhandari (1952-1993) 

 

Background	Madan Kumar Bhandari was a Nepali politician and communist leader. Bhandari was a founder member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist). When the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) merged into Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) in 1991, he became the party’s general secretary. In 1993 Bhandari died, in a car crash. However, many believe he was assasinated. Among the three passengers inside the car, only the driver survived and the other two leaders died, with no eyewitnesses.
Main Achievement	Bhandari engineered the transformation of the party into a social democratic party. He created a multi-party system within communism, meaning that the parties compete for election. This was very different than the typical communist theory. This was the strongest communist party of Nepal for several years even after his death.
Legacy	During his lifetime, Madan Bhandari played a pivotal role in shaping the contours of Nepali politics of the time. Transforming the Communist Party of Nepal into a social democratic party was challenging because he had to make the party more mainstream without severing its commitment to a progressive agenda. He transformed the party into a formidable political force by mobilizing the public opinion through words and non-violence.
Leadership Traits	Bhandari shared a bond with his electoral constituency—he connected with the average citizen and he struck a chord with ordinary Nepalis.  Bhandari was a good orator, a visionary, and a mass-mobilizer. He tended to be more democratic than autocratic, and understood the desires of the people.

Other Revered Nepalese Leaders