We assess the role social differences such as caste, and other household characteristics, play on leadership and collective action, taking the case studies of forest commons. Primary data for our analysis was drawn from a survey of eight community forest user groups in the mid-hills of Nepal. The analysis shows that there is less probability for households belonging to lower castes being elected as a member of a decision-making unit within local forest management institutions (e.g. executive committee of a community forest user group). Instead local elites, often from upper caste backgrounds, are found to be advantaged in accessing the decision-making unit of the community forest management institutions.