Port-au-Prince, November 22, 2025.- During a training session organized by tomorrow's Leader and The Challengers on Sunday, November 16, communicator and journalist GeorGes C. Allen gave a deep reflection on the foundations of leadership. According to him, being a leader has nothing to do with being a leader: leadership learns, practices and relies on self-control, vision, and the ability to inspire. It invites young people to transform their knowledge into concrete actions to become actors in change.
For GeorGes C. Allen, leadership begins with a personal awareness. « Leading is not enough to be a leader », he calls back. The leader imposes, but the leader influences. The first acts by status, the second by example. This distinction is, in his view, the basis for the personal development of every young person seeking to guide others. « Leadership is first and foremost an internal transformation »He insists.
Listening, Humility and Vision: The Three Pillars of Leadership
He focused on three essential skills: listening, humility and vision. Too many leaders, he says, use power as a means of domination. The authentic leader consults, recognizes his limitations and prepares for the future. He thinks in the long term, beyond his person, position or period of influence. « One leader sees what others don't see yet », he explains.
The trap of the ego: a major obstacle to individual development
Mr. Allen denounced the weight of the ego in Haitian society. From the cashier to the small head of the office, each person sometimes uses his or her authority to remind that he or she controls a situation. He pointed out, however, that the poorly controlled ego blocked learning, listening and collaboration. On the contrary, leadership requires emotional discipline and the ability to challenge one's own behaviours. « The greatest enemy of the leader is himself. », he says.
Youth between potential and responsibility
In his speech, GorGes C. Allen particularly questioned the young participants. For him, youth represents a period of energy, creativity and construction. But it must learn to convert its theoretical knowledge, lectures, studies, debates, into measurable actions. « We have many graduates, but we lack leaders »he said, urging young people to develop useful skills, take initiatives and engage in social transformation.
From leader to leader: a demanding passage
He concluded that the difference between a leader and a leader lies in the ability to anticipate, delegate and structure a sustainable vision. A true leader prepares the succession, distributes responsibilities and creates a system that works even in his absence. It does not seek absolute control, but collective construction. « Leadership is leaving something that goes on without you », he calls back.
W.A.
