Leadership That Lasts: Building Beyond Yourself
By Sam Bironda
I grew up as an orphan in a household of around 30 children, all part of an extended family, raised by our grandmother. Resources were limited, and I often struggled with deep insecurity and uncertainty about the future, wondering whether my life would ever amount to anything.
My life changed when I was given the opportunity to attend a high school that modelled Christ-centred leadership. I felt empowered and began to uncover the potential that had been buried beneath the weight of my circumstances.
That experience marked a profound paradigm shift in my life.
I made a promise to give back: to live out and share the values that transformed me from a young man with an orphan-mentality into a leader committed to raising other leaders, especially those who have faced adversity like I did.
The leadership principle that has shaped my journey is Empowering Leadership; entrusting others with the tools, trust, and responsibility to lead effectively.
As the founder of Youth Impact Mission (YIM), which reaches over 70,000 young people annually in Rwanda and Burundi, I have seen the fruit of this principle first-hand.
Together with my leadership team, we equip and mentor over 100 coordinators to lead vibrant youth clubs in nearly 300 high schools across the two countries. None of this would be possible if we tried to do it alone. The real impact comes when leadership is shared. For us, this means recognizing and nurturing the potential in these coordinators, giving them the tools, trust, and support they need to lead abundantly and confidently. We’ve seen that this is the most effective method to unleash hidden potential, inspiring these coordinators to give their best and, in turn, to empower other youth in their local communities.
Empowering leadership has allowed us to overcome the challenges of limited resources and capacity because it multiplies impact through others. When people feel empowered, they take ownership, innovate, and grow. This has allowed the vision for YIM to expand far beyond what I, or any one leader, could accomplish alone.
Two Applications of Empowering Leadership
One example of empowering leadership occurred when political tensions led to the closure of the border between Rwanda and Burundi; Rwandans were unable to enter Burundi, and our plans to begin the YIM Burundi chapter were disrupted. Rather than pause our mission, we invited a few Burundians to Rwanda, trained and empowered them as coordinators, and introduced them to the vision and values of YIM. These leaders returned home equipped and motivated to start YIM clubs. Today, there are 50 coordinators across Burundi, reaching about 5,000 students annually through annual conferences and weekly YIM club meetings in high schools. These coordinators not only facilitate ongoing programs but also establish new clubs, expanding their impact.
Another example is how YIM runs four simultaneous conferences across four provinces of Rwanda. Each five-day conference is planned, organized, and led by regional coordinators who have been thoroughly trained and empowered. They handle logistics, lead teams, even meet with local government officials—all with confidence and skill most wouldn’t expect from young adults. Each regional conference functions with a degree of independence, reflecting a decentralized leadership model. The national staff’s role is limited to oversight and stepping in only when critical issues arise. This structure instills ownership, trust, and strengthens local leadership capacity.
Vision for the Future
As I look to the future, I hope to see a generation of Christ-centred, transformational servant leaders rise across East Africa and beyond, leaders who multiply themselves by empowering others, who in turn empower more. This ripple effect will foster home-grown, lasting solutions and build resilient, purpose-driven leaders capable of transforming our nations from the inside out.
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Tim. 2:2). Paul demonstrates empowering leadership here; entrusting Timothy to carry the work forward, and to equip others to do the same.
This model creates a chain of empowered leaders, ensuring the continuity of God’s work through generations. May we live on God’s purpose by intentionally empowering those we lead and mentoring others (especially the younger generation) as a lasting expression of faithful leadership.
Reflection Questions
Who around you needs to be empowered to lead?
Are you creating space for others to grow and take ownership, or are you too controlling to allow ownership and exponential growth?
What systems can you build to sustain leadership beyond your own presence?
Sam Birondwa is an alumnus of Kurumbuka’s Abundant Leadership Institute (ALI), facilitator of ALI’s Empowering Leadership course, and recently began serving as Kurumbuka’s Africa Director & Rwanda Country Lead.