The status of youth participation in leadership activities has attracted the global community. However, few studies have tried to explain the linkage between youth participation and leadership in secondary schools in Tanzania. This situation has reduced confidence, communication skills, leadership skills, team working, and social participation among the students who are supposed to participate in youth leadership. Therefore, the study examined the linkage between youth participation and leadership in secondary schools in Iringa Municipality in Tanzania. The study adopted explanatory research design to cover a sample of 300 respondents drawn from a target population of 1400 students of secondary schools in Iringa Municipality. The study used both qualitative and quantitative data using questionnaires and interview guide. The quantitative data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that youth participation namely the social influence, social media, and civic education have a positive and weak relationship with leadership in secondary schools in Iringa Municipality. The study concluded that social influence and social media have significant influence in leadership although the influence was very little, while civic education has insignificant contribution on youth leadership in secondary schools. Therefore, the study recommended that the schools should encourage youth to participate in leadership by improving their leadership skills. Also, secondary schools should prepare free trainings to advance leadership skills and youth participation.