By Sen. Bikal Pd. Sherchan (National President 1990)
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out.”
–Vaclav Havel
Former President of Czechoslovakia
Hope? Yes, people’s hope for a new, peaceful, prosperous and more humane society tops the priority list of today’s Nepal. Whatever each individual can contribute in this regard shall be highly appreciated. One hundred years from now, what will be truly counted, valued and appreciated is not what kind of home I lived in, the bank balance I created but what I did to make my family, community and my country a better place than before I’d arrived.
The purpose of this communication is initiating a conversation for the possibility of addressing the current issues of
National President 1990
the emerging political chaos and complexities in Nepal. Conscious, responsible and young citizens like the Jaycees need to seriously address these issues without delay with the hope of reviving the promises of democracy in Nepal. One recommendation for Jaycees across Nepal is to encourage the new generation towards the Politics of Hope. Jaycees will encourage youths to stand and deliver so that democracy thrives in the 21st century and beyond.
Leadership In Nepal– A pilot study conducted by Nepal Center for Contemporary Studies (NCCS) in cooperation of the Embassy of Finland, Katmandu, Nepal, in which political scientists Prof, Lok Raj Baral, Krishna Hachhethu and Hari Sharma states that, ‘In Nepali context, today, most political parties’ leaders are transactional in view of their overindulgence in short-term gains. Presenting themselves as mere power-seekers, most political parties’ leaders in the post-movement period are generally perceived by the people as having driven by a strong desire for power.’ The research further quotes
“The manner with which the political leaders of various parties seem to be haunted by their complex and lack of confidence in carrying out radical socio-economic policies for transforming the status quo, they can not be called transformatory leaders.”
The above findings were revealed a decade ago and we assume that our leaders have failed to do some serious soul- searching even after the People’s Movement of 1990. The People’s Revolution of 2062-63 B.S is now a history, and the country has to do with a Prime Minister who does not have a strong foothold in the decisive future of the country. The political scenario of the country has not improved and is left with a hung parliament. The 601 parliamentarians have not kept their promises to draft the long-awaited NEW constitution nor created the environment to conclude the Peace Process. Our parliamentarians have showed their inability to elect, nominate an able candidate to lead the country towards peace, security and economic prosperity.
Professor Devendra Raj Pandey in his book Nepal’s Failed Development-Reflections on the Mission and the Maladies, published by the Nepal South Asia Centre, Kathmandu, writes that the first and fore most, there is a crisis of values and crisis of leadership because it is the leadership that infuses a movement or a party with values. After the movement the leaders and their parties were successful in achieving their goal of throwing out the Panchayat System, the leadership has been at a loss as to what their next mission is and how they should approach it. They have not been able to fire the imagination of the people of their own cadres about the exciting mission of democratic development. The reason is not the lack of interest or commitment to democracy as such; the sacrifices of the past were the result of a progressive temper ingrained in them at the personal level, rather than a sensitive symbol of a vision for nation-building along the democratic path The “vision gap” explains why, twenty years down the road since 1990, the Nepali people have not observed or experienced any new initiative in development which could not be a watershed, distinguishing the democratic era from the ancient regime.
Professor Pandey further quotes ‘A highly demoralizing and possibly devastating consequences of the Nepali tradition and condition in the leadership front is the possibility of people of lesser quality and more dubious culture succeeding the imperfect leadership of today. The scenario is becoming clearer in the case of the Nepali congress where leadership may already be slipping out of the hands of older and established leaders. Despite their several and serious weaknesses these leaders are awash in the experience and culture (howsoever inapt and inadequate it might occur to us now) of half a century of democratic struggle, which most of their potential successors do not possess. This messy decisions and revisions made regarding the nomination of candidates for the May elections illustrates the state of mind and the methods of leadership at all levels.’
If there was a time in Nepalese history when leadership was needed, it is now-not only the leadership of a few in high public office or the elite of the business community but leadership at every level of society, in every vocation and in every place
In recent years, it has become apparent that development assistance-the input of money, materials, and manpower-is not enough. What is needed are effective ways to empower people to take charge of their own lives and produce real, tangible results in their communities and institutions. An organization cannot increase it productivity-but people can! The asset that truly appreciates within any organization is people. Systems become dated. Buildings deteriorate. Machinery wears. But people can grow, develop, and become more effective if they have a leader who understands their potential value.
Dozens of political parties and hundreds of new leaders have emerged during the past two decades but it is obvious that our leaders are fit to manage but unfit to lead. The majority lack the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to lead the country and the countrymen during these times of change, chaos and conflicts.
The Possible Solution
The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.
– John C. Maxwell
Leadership Development
If a person rises to a level of authority that exceeds his virtue, all will suffer
–Guanzi
Leadership is too important to be reserved for a few. Rather than being a peripheral “HR issue,” growing people and aligning them and their creative capacities is now a strategic imperative, perhaps the strategic imperative for many enterprises or organizations, and our political parties are no exception.
The cultivation of virtues is the result of the development of consciousness. And that development has the same root as envelope. Development literally means “de-enveloping” or opening up. This is to say that when the human being opens up, their awareness expands to embrace more and more of the complexities of life, the realities of their organization, and principles of nature. Management Guru, Deb Ashish Chatterjee, contends that higher virtues are, at some elemental level, nothing more or less than deeply appreciating laws of nature that enables harmony and functioning of life:
- see reality as it is (committed to the truth),
- take no more than you need (waste not, want not),
- do not control unnecessarily (hierarchical power should be used only when local solutions are not possible),
- and balance of action with non-action (the power of presence, true listening, and non- intervention).
Study! Research Reveals that:
- The right to leadership throughout history has been traditionally gained through inheritance and maintained according to the ability of individual leaders to sustain their allegiance to even more powerful leaders and authorities. Leadership is primarily patrimonial in nature.
- This practice has further been reinforced by Hindu religious beliefs and customs that support people’s subservience to a higher power not only to determine their futures but also to direct the course of their daily life.
- There is little belief in individual knowledge and capacity because of which there is little attempt to improve one’s personality or life.
- It is widely believed that religious affiliation, family, caste, and ethnicity predetermine one’s position in life.
- Nepal’s leaders have little desire to challenge thinking that would in any undermine their authority. These self-defeating attitudes make it nearly impossible for leadership to emerge that can communicate a vision for Nepal.
- The general public, media, human rights activists, non-governmental organizations, businessmen, donors, and even political parties and their activists seem to understand and agree that the crisis of leadership seems to be the striking evidence for most of the issues and obstacles challenging consolidation of democratic governance in Nepal.
(Source: Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today-Ram P. Thapaliya, pp 3-4, 2002, Pairavi Prakashan
On Being Visionary Leaders
What is the job of a visionary leader?
“Those who do not have visions perish.”- The Holy bible
The Country needs Visionary Leaders: Because they-
- Ø Lessen the anxiety by continually reminding their people of why the change is necessary and connecting them to the many benefits that will result from it.
- Ø Tell people that the change will bring them much closer to the compelling cause they are all striving for.
- Ø Show them how the change will ultimately improve their lives and allow them to be more effective.
- Ø Make them aware how the change will them serve others and make a deeper contribution.
- Ø Help them to master change by giving them knowledge to change.
Analogy: Law of Environment
As seed grows into a plant only when the soil , moisture, and temperature are favorable. In other words, the environment must be ideal. Similarly, to manage change effectively, you, as a visionary leader, must provide the ideal culture in which the people can respond positively to change and grow in the process.
What kind of culture do visionary leaders create?
They create a learning culture. They must champion intellectual development. They must foster a work place that rewards constant learning and skills improvement. They need to let people know that the best way to combat the fear and strain that invokes change is to become knowledgeable about it. The best antidote for fear is knowledge.
Create a corporate culture that inspires them to embrace new ideas and information. And share all the information you have. Remember, in these day and age of change, he or she who learns most wins.
Change is humanity’s best friend. Ordinarily leaders fight it. Visionary leaders delight in it.
The ancient philosopher Marcus Aurelius captured these sentiments splendidly when he said, “observe always that everything is the result of change, and get used to thinking that there is nothing Nature loves so well as to change existing forms and make new ones like them.“
Develop People’s Competency
Leader encourage their employees to be come massively competent. Encourage them to become lifelong learners.
The growth of the company is directly proportional to the growth of the people. By helping their people become so good at what they do that they become indispensable, they will not only boost productivity, they will gain loyalty. And yet most organizations don’t see the value of constant leadership and skills development training. Corporations regularly spend 50 to 70 per cent of their on people’s salaries and invest less than one percent of their budget on training them to improve their abilities. It does not make sense.
What is another reason why people resist change?
They simply don’t trust their leadership. They don’t believe their managers and supervisors have their best interests in mind. People challenge those who lead egocentrically. Helping your employees to become massively competent will change that all. If you see yourself as builder of people, they will see that you are committed to them.
Note:
All too often well-intended leaders bring in the speakers, send their team members to seminars, invest in the latest business books and tapes, but they fail to remember the most important thing, which is-
Knowledge that remains unapplied is worthless. Success is not determined by what you know. Many employees realize what they need to do to help the organization prosper. Lasting success comes only through acting on what you know, putting it into practice.
Recommendations for Jaycees to organize country-wide seminars on Politics of Hope
- To raise a hope for the political future of democracy applying the principles of evolution to politics.
- To give the message that when the old systems don’t work anymore, we have reason for hope and celebration, for it is then that we begin to envision, just over the horizon, a new and ennobled political future. That is what is happening in our nation, and throughout the world, right now. Our broken political systems are a symptom of progress. Far from being defeated, we are drawing closer than ever to our primary aim of true democratic government provided that we are conscious.
- To become aware of the leadership styles that worked in the past cannot lead us successfully through the chaos and complexity of the 21 century global society.
- To examine the four stages of political evolution that gives us a broader perspective on our current political conflicts and offers a glimpse of the new form of leadership we will need in the future-the move to a more collaborative model of shared leadership and shared responsibility will require the effort of the many, rather than only the few, so that we can to bring back nobility to politics and together, we can revive the dream of democracy.
- These seminars on Politics of Hope is about Nepalese YOUTH who want much more–something they desire to accomplish, in life, or in work, or in the country and world that is currently not possible. It is about young leaders willing to re-invent themselves first in order to generate the power to make something impossible happen-the kind of power that bears no relation to authority (the ability to compel things to happen by virtue of your position) and has nothing to do with competence (the ability to fix problems and perform effectively).
“In a changing world, the most valuable skill is learning.”
Youth—the Instruments of Social Change through Self-transformation
Youth is known for its characteristic exuberance of energy, pugnacity, the will to fight and surmount difficulties and to take bold initiatives. It is a period of life when man’s zest and enthusiasm are in great ferment, and man has active and vigorous co-operation of the body to fulfill his dreams, good or bad. It is a period when man’s faculties of innovation, ingenuity and his inventive and creative tendencies are at their crest. It is during this period that man can learn new arts, languages and sciences because his faculties of memory and his learning capacity are now at their best. Most inventions, explorations, discoveries, adventures and high attainments in almost all fields of knowledge and effort have been made during this period. This period of youth is characterized by the spirit of adventure and the refulgence of energy, tempered by a growing sense of responsibility and maturity. A man in youth can thus make a lasting contribution to the cause of understanding the inner and outer Nature, inventions, courage, creative art and architecture and bring to bear his energy on the toughest problems of life, and find keys to their solutions. This period of man’s life is, therefore, of unspeakable significance.
Youth are the strength of a nation. As a human body is supported by its spine, so are the youth the support of the body politic. They are the real backbone of any institution because of their stamina and vigor. The activity, vitality, the enthusiasm, the zeal, the verve of an institution, or society, or nation come mainly from its youth who have the capacity to work, to fight hard against difficulties to pluck up courage and face problems boldly and to act with an undaunted spirit in the face of grave dangers and critical situations. But f the youth of a country become corrupt or have a slave mentality or lose their character, discipline, self-respect or love for the motherland, then, the nation is certainly heading towards a grave peril, for the very youth will pull down the structure which once they supported and will destroy their valuable heritage which their forefathers lovingly bequeathed them.
Because of all the creative and innovative faculties and the high tide in the reservoir of energy, man can use his period of youth either to discover new pastures or to wreck the ship of his life on the rocks of vile habits. Over the past two and a half thousand years, the able-bodied youth have, in tens of millions been enlisted to wage bloody wars. Wouldn’t it have been better if their valuable human energy had been utilized towards creating such moral and socio-economic conditions that wars could have been banished and national rivalries and animosities ended so that there was no longer any fear from a neighboring country or from within?
In order to build up, in the youth, a spirit of service and a constructive attitude, the college students are, now-a-days, called upon to do some social service like tree plantations, blood donations, medical camps, keep streets clean campaigns, repair and maintenance of roads, and digging up wells, But if, besides doing this kind of service, the youth take up personal and leadership development programs and enhance the work of paving the path of their life with purity, peace, honesty, integrity, sincerity and sympathy, they will be taking great steps towards building a clean society.
The Responsibility of Jaycees
The responsibility of JCI Nepal (Jaycee youth) is now to have the awareness that the nation has high hopes in them and they are not to belie those hopes. They will work day and night to create love, amity and harmony in creative collaboration with the youth of every community. Never will Jaycees ever dream of a communal riot, regional violence or acts of arson and destruction. Instead, they will know and realize the self, cultivate great spiritual values and practice deep meditation so there is a perfect harmony in their own mind, their family and in the whole society. The youth in our respective communities have far too long been used in riots, warfare and as brute force or demonstrations and strikes and such other acts of disharmony by various vested interests, but now they will not allow themselves to be used for acts of violence, rifts, and hatred. Instead, they will work for creating harmony and for friendship and for co-operation and above all, will be doing a real service by helping to construct a NEW Nepal. Only this will be considered by them as their responsibility. Because for the simple reason that Jaycee’s mission is to work towards an everlasting world peace. To make this dream of world peace a reality, we Jaycees need to first bring the change in ourselves and provide opportunities for other youth’s leadership development.
The contributor to this article is the Founder of the National Institute for Leadership Development Pvt. Ltd, Nakkhu Dobato Chowk, Lalitpur (Ring Road). We do consulting works for personal and leadership development and also conduct regular classes in our office space. Our contact numbers are: 9849053285 (Bikal) 9841539564 (Usha) Office 01-5530970.