A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way – John C. Maxwell

This quote could aptly describe David Allen and his vision of shaping leaders, not only locally but internationally too. Mr Allen recently returned from a trip to the United States where he was tasked with motivating, educating and nurturing young leaders.

Like previous visits overseas, he presented interactive workshops to young students who are pursuing a career in business. He was also requested to present training to the Boston Police Department as well as the prestigious Harvard University Police Department.

Arriving in Boston at the end of February, Mr Allen was in the middle on the coldest winter ever, with temperatures plummeting to -22 Degrees Celsius but this did not put a damper on his spirit and a series of smaller workshops preceded the “big night’.

During his workshops, Mr Allen delves into the world of respect, power, leadership, people skills, and criticism and even gossiping and dealing with wise or foolish people.

He says that his workshops were well-received and he was grateful for the warm welcome, although a little intimidated by the life-sized posters of him that welcomed those attending the workshop.

Apart from the leadership workshops, Mr Allen also gave practical close quarter combat training to police in Boston and Harvard University.

In addition, he was also called on to motivate and give training tips to the Babson College rugby team, where he drew from South Africa’s World Cup victory in 1995 and how it united South Africans to inspire the young team. Mr Allen concludes that his trip was yet another memorable one.