All leadership course modules include case studies that are of relevance to real life situations. The case studies portrays the leadership exercises of exemplary figures, which comprehend various approaches of leadership practiced across nations. Following are some of the excerpts of case studies that are used at NLA.
Siddhartha Gautama: The Malady of Identities and the Meaning of Life
Siddhartha took a giant leap of faith, unaware if the quest he was about to embark on would bear any fruits. It could even have been the greatest mistake of his life. Then why has he decided? The ensuing case study seeks to describe those solitary moments of Siddhartha, just before he was ready to set out for the path-of-uncertainty. As the heir to an affluent Kingdom, his choices were either to renounce his throne, or to embrace a life of the absolute minimum, as a hermit. It scrutinizes the psyche of a man who was torn apart on the one side, by the insatiable thirst to seek the ultimate truth while on the other side to pursue love- of his beautiful wife, infant son and of course the Crown. The course of human civilization would have been different if that night Siddhartha were to choose to stay back, unable to untangle himself from the deceptive web of Maya.
The case study intends to portray the human side of Siddhartha, his limitations and the lures of comfortable life. It traces the impediments that he faced, as a common man. But eventually he establishes himself as the sole reference point to the world, and considers the duty-to-self as the greatest obligation.
While reaching out to the innermost corners of his mind and heart, he begins to see the possibility of a boundless frontier inward, a world as profound and real as the outer one. It is the recurring theme of the story, reflected in the protagonist’s predicaments, that all mankind share the same fate. He sought to question the basic assumptions of life that are often taken for granted.
It is the story of a man and his struggles, which were to eventually redefine what it means to be human itself.
The Making of Nepal- Prithivi Narayan Shah and his Quest for Unification
The story is about Nepal’s unification with Prithivi Narayan Shah at the center. It attempts to analyze the execution of Shah’s vision of laying the foundation of an independent country with a stable economic base and a sound administration system. The story recounts the choices that Prithivi Narayan Shah had to make, the challenges he went through and the steps he took to resolve problems at hand.
In the mid-1700s, the biggest threat posed to the independence of hilly principalities in modern day Nepal was the northern expansion of British rule. The British already controlled vast majority of the Indian plains and were expanding their control. The other challenge at hand was to create a country where diverse sets of population were bound with a common identity and sense of security. Apart from the military victories it was important for a leader to think politically, keep loyalties intact while always keeping the work at the center. The central theme of this is “empathizing with others”.