This study explores the formation of leaders in Kenyan private Christian chartered universities. The topic of formation has garnered attention in some parts of the world, for example, the United States, but in the majority of the world, issues related to teaching and learning, as well as how the university system functions, continue to dominate research. Meta-analysis of the topics explored in various international journals reveals that formation hardly appears in the research literature (Daenekindt and Huisman 2020; Zavale 2022). Current literature recognizes that formation has divine, human, communal, and contextual elements (Chandler 2014; Howard 2018; Wilhoit 2022). The study proceeded according to a basic qualitative design. It sought to explore (1) influences on the formation of leaders, (2) how the community contributed to their formation, and (3) how they navigated their university systems as a result of their formation. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with twenty-six higher education academic leaders who had served in over ten Kenyan private chartered Christian universities. The participants revealed that they were influenced by encounters with God, reading and reflecting on scripture and other books, and relationships with people in different social circles, settings, and contexts. They identified various communities they participated in, over time and in different contexts, showing how both positive and negative impacts occurred in their lives. They also revealed the tension in navigating university problems and perils with hopefulness and the required rhythms, practices, and rituals that helped them overcome trials and temptations. The researcher proposes that formation is like a growing tree with roots, trunk, and crown representing relational rootedness and dynamic communal engagement and is displayed in vocational fruitfulness. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]