Nepal, August 11 — Leadership is not a privilege reserved for stable countries or thriving businesses. It is essential. This is particularly evident in nations like Nepal, where resilience, creativity, and change are everyday requirements. Whether it’s reconstructing areas affected by earthquakes, managing federalism, or simply ensuring meetings begin on time, leadership serves as the unseen force that links ambition to real-world efforts.
However, within our academic institutions, leadership is still notably lacking. It is often viewed as a casual seminar rather than a serious area of study, frequently pushed to the back pages of a management book or presented by an energetic speaker using a wireless microphone and slides filled with generic images. Consequently, we keep producing graduates while failing to develop true leaders.
Rediscovering Our Roots
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Interestingly, Asia’s own traditions recognized this long before. The ancient Gurukul system was more than just an early form of a residential school with improved Sanskrit education. It functioned as a comprehensive leadership training center. Learners did not only commit texts to memory but also engaged in discipline, community service, self-reflection, and ethical bravery. They were nurtured not solely to find employment, but to sustain a culture.
Move ahead to the present day, and we see ourselves caught between students’ growing ambitions and the challenges of delivering courses in higher education. Social division, technological changes, and the attraction of opportunities abroad have led to a gap in leadership. There has never been a more appropriate time to bring traditional knowledge into a well-organized, contemporary leadership program.
The Development of Leadership Research
Globally, leadership has transitioned from a popular term to a significant area of academic study. Starting with Plato’s ideal rulers to modern concepts like transformational and servant leadership, the exploration of how individuals lead has developed into a comprehensive area of research.
Pioneering scholars such as James MacGregor Burns and Joseph Rost transformed the discipline by redirecting attention from “leaders” to the “process” of leadership. They highlighted ethics, interpersonal connections, and situational factors rather than charm or power. Currently, top universities provide degrees and research institutions focused on leadership studies. These programs combine theoretical knowledge with practical application, and stress personal introspection, global awareness, and actions driven by service.
In this worldwide development, leadership is no longer considered something one is born with. It is researched, nurtured, and honed, similar to any other field of study. However, in Nepal, we are still debating whether leadership should be included in the curriculum at all.
In essence, leadership is no longer about individual traits. It is a discipline and must be approached accordingly.
The Science of Meaningful Leadership
Alongside the study of leadership, the discipline of Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology developed from the challenges faced in early 20th-century industries and during wartime efforts. Psychologists started to explore questions such as: How do individuals lead when under stress? What drives team performance? What contributes to ethical, healthy, and efficient work environments?
Around the world, these issues have transformed businesses, non-profits, and even military structures. However, in Nepal, numerous organizations continue to hold onto a more sentimental approach to leadership: hierarchical, focused on compliance, and wary of input. If we don’t base leadership on principles from behavioral science, we risk teaching the next generation to maintain the same systems they were supposed to change.
Leadership Begins in the Classroom, Not the Executive Office
New studies from Nepal indicate that the development of a leadership identity typically starts during school days, well before students finish their education or earn their first salary. To foster leaders who are empathetic, reflective, and brave, we must begin nurturing these qualities in classrooms, rather than solely in business workshops.
This involves moving past selecting classroom monitors or arranging sports events. Teaching leadership should involve ethical thinking, accountability, teamwork, and innovative problem-solving. Extracurricular activities, initiatives led by students, and community service contribute to developing the next generation of leaders.
Educators and parents serve as the initial guides on this path. Their impact in demonstrating values, providing support, and fostering independence is unquestionable. Therefore, focusing on the growth of teachers as exemplary figures is equally important as planning the curriculum.
Fortunately, the lack of strong leadership is not entirely devoid of optimism. In various parts of Nepal, youth-driven projects are gradually changing the conversation. Groups such as Yuwa, which supports teenagers via sports and learning opportunities, and Teach For Nepal, which sends skilled graduates to teach in areas with limited resources, are cultivating a fresh wave of socially conscious, self-assured, and locally connected leaders. These represent only some of the actions being taken at both national and community levels.
And as Stanley Keleman, the creator of Formative Psychology, once mentioned, humans are dynamic processes. Body and mind are connected. Our stance, routines, and emotional management influence our decisions, bravery, and mental clarity in challenging situations. Leadership isn’t solely about outward achievements; it’s about internal preparedness and harmony.
The Lost Chance in College Education
Although some universities in Nepal now provide MBAs in Global Leadership or M. Eds in Leadership and Management, these programs are limited, poorly funded, and usually unavailable to those outside urban areas. For a nation dealing with large-scale youth migration, political dissatisfaction, and climate-related challenges, this represents a significant missed chance.
Nepal requires more than just individuals with academic qualifications. It needs leaders who are ethical, emotionally aware, connected to their cultural roots, and capable on a global scale. Without such leadership, we might keep losing our most talented people overseas, while our institutions continue to deteriorate at a sluggish pace.
Ending the Constraints of Red Tape in College and University Systems
The issue, as always, is deeply rooted. Nepal’s higher education system functions with the flexibility of a fax machine in 2025. Creativity frequently meets its end at the hands of old-fashioned administrative procedures. Even degrees recognized internationally face challenges in gaining local approval. Institutions have limited freedom to create cross-disciplinary, forward-thinking programs.
To use a metaphor: a bird in a cage might flutter its wings, but it will never discover how to fly.
True academic evolution involves giving universities the autonomy to develop cross-disciplinary programs, work with international partners, and explore forward-looking educational content. Higher education must go beyond just preparing students for jobs. It should focus on shaping well-rounded individuals. It should aim to cultivate critical thinkers, innovators, and responsible citizens who can handle uncertainty with honesty. A renewed academic approach can make a more significant difference than the existing system of rigid courses and bureaucratic obstacles.
A Program for Mindful Leadership
To move from handling crises to focusing on long-term national development, leadership education should be considered a top national goal rather than a specialized area. This involves integrating ethics, cultural studies, philosophy, psychology, theology, and social justice into standard educational programs.
These are not “gentle” topics. They are the ones that show students how to think, why they should care, and when they should take action. Without them, we risk creating a generation skilled in data but unaware of dignity, smart in tactics but empty in spirit.
The leading universities around the globe have already acknowledged this.
From Alumni to Champions of Transformation
Nepal is at a critical juncture. We have the choice to keep generating technically proficient graduates or to take on the task of developing ethical, forward-thinking, and flexible leaders. The consequences are significant. Our institutions, young people, and future rely on this transformation.
To develop leaders, rather than merely producing graduates, we need to look beyond the demands of the job market. We should consider leadership as a science, as a field of study, and above all, as a moral responsibility.
This goes beyond an educational change. It is a crucial national priority.
Published by HT Digital Content Services, with permission from Republica.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
