By Olemo Gordon Brian
Leaders &
Schemers
A Political, Intellectual and Spiritual Itinerary
An itinerary through the ideas, encounters, convictions, and contradictions that shape a political life.
Aluta Press
The Book
Between Leaders and Schemers
Where does the making of a leader end and the scheming of a political life begin?
Leaders & Schemers takes its title from a distinction that emerged during the author's formative years: between those who aspire to lead and those who learn to scheme. What begins as a reflection on leadership develops into an itinerary through the political, intellectual, and spiritual experiences that shape a life.
This is a book about becoming: the ideas that awaken us, the institutions that form us, the contradictions we encounter, and the convictions we carry into public life.
“A political, intellectual and spiritual itinerary.”
Political
An engagement with leadership, power, political institutions, and the possibilities of public life.
Intellectual
A record of ideas, questions, and encounters that shape how we understand the world.
Spiritual
A reflection on conviction, purpose, and the inner life that accompanies a public journey.
About the Author
Olemo Gordon Brian
Olemo Gordon Brian is a Ugandan writer, political economist, and community builder whose work sits at the intersection of economic development, governance, and faith.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, where he studied as a Hesburgh‑Yusko Scholar. Before Notre Dame, he served as Head Prefect of St. Mary’s College Kisubi in Uganda and as District Speaker of the Uganda National Students Association (UNSA), before enrolling at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg — a pan-African institution where he was Class Speaker at the 12th Graduation Ceremony, CEO of SAFCorp, and Committee Chair at ALAMAU, the Academy’s simulation of continental African Union deliberations.
After graduating, Olemo spent four years with Future Africa, a platform that supports visionary African leaders working to accelerate the continent’s transformation, contributing to initiatives in governance innovation, public leadership, and policy reform. He is a fellow of the Young African Leaders Initiative. Motivated by the need for deeper youth engagement in African politics, he founded The 4th Generation Initiative — a platform that equips young Africans with the ideological tools to critically engage with political leadership on the continent. Olemo is currently a PhD student at the Johns Hopkins University.
Leaders or Schemers is his first book.
Photographs
Moments from the years the memoir covers.
Praise for the Book
Without weighing the reader down with heavy academic jargon or colloquialisms, Olemo succeeds in forcing an audit of personal motives, deepening political and societal analysis, and evaluating the quality of the individual contributions we make to the betterment of society.
Part coming-of-age story, part meditation on leadership, Leaders & Schemers follows a young man wrestling with the privileges and challenges of elite education in Africa. It is a thoughtful reflection on character and the moral demands of leadership.
Unless you have taken a bullet to your head and won a Nobel Prize, it is rare for a young person to author a memoir. Olemo has lived many lives in just a few years, and this memoir proves it. With honesty, depth, and his signature linguistic flair, he reflects on the demons he has wrestled and the inflection points that have shaped his faith and leadership. A remarkable testament from a young man already walking a thousand-mile journey.
A refreshing, thought-provoking work and a practical toolkit for young people wired for change. Olemo brilliantly weaves political theory with spirituality, showing why love is the key ingredient of true leadership. This book challenges you to find your ‘why’ and lead with integrity. A compelling and meaningful contribution.
Olemo’s story crucially reminds us that becoming is not an event, but a process. This is especially crucial for young people who often feel undue pressure to be fully formed.
Begin the Itinerary
Discover Leaders & Schemers: A Political, Intellectual and Spiritual Itinerary by Olemo Gordon Brian.
Published by Aluta Press