While there are many great things about the country of Guatemala, it is a country with a lot of problems. The average age in Guatemala is 20 years old. It is a source country for sex trafficking, and is also a busy intersection for drugs. If anyone needs some heroes, it’s Guatemalans.At least that is according to Bermuda leadership coach Bob DiGiacomo, who was recently part of a group of 150 people from around the world who travelled to Guatemala to bring the teachings of leadership guru John Maxwell. Mr Maxwell is a pastor and author of more than 60 books including ‘The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth’.One of Mr Maxwell’s lessons, for example, is that no one ever became successful by accident. Successful people achieve success by being intentional about it. He has a formula for success: “preparation (growth) plus attitude plus opportunity plus action equals luck”.“I have known John Maxwell’s teachings since my early days,” said Mr DiGiacomo. “I was an Amway distributor and I had been to some of the functions he had been to. I had all of his books. About three years ago I received a couple of e-mails to say something was going to be getting started in Bermuda. I ignored the first four, but something said you need to read this e-mail. There was a presentation attached to it. After I watched it I went running upstairs to my wife and said, I need to do this.”Mr DiGiacomo is now a certified John Maxwell coach, teacher and speaker. He coaches others about Mr Maxwell’s wisdom.“I have come to realise that everything I have done through my life was setting me up for this,” he said. “I have realised my purpose here is to teach transformational leadership.”Transformational leadership is a method of changing your own life and your community.“Generally, I use Maxwell’s teachings every day,” said Mr DiGiacomo. “It has helped me to be able to interact with people to bring out their best. With coaching the answer is always within the individual. They already have it; I just help them bring it out.”In February, John Maxwell visited Guatemala. He met with the President of the country, Otto Perez Molina, and an organisation called Guatemala Prospero, and realised the country was in need of assistance. He put together a team (that included Mr DiGiacomo) and returned to Guatemala.“They realised they are a country that is in transition,” said Mr DiGiacomo. “They are ready to come back into the world. In order for that to happen it has to come from within themselves. We went in not with the intention of being the ‘Great White Hope’, or the gringos coming in knowing everything. We wanted to be facilitators as opposed to teachers. Facilitators bring the information out of the individuals.”The team worked with several streams including people from the civil service, military, families, and education. They worked with the people to figure out their values and beliefs. One of Mr Maxwell’s techniques is a round-table discussion that helps everyone to discuss their issues, get everything on the table and come up with solutions. Mr DiGiacomo worked with people from a pharmaceutical company on one day, teachers the second day and members of the fire department on the third day.“All three groups came to conclusions and realisations that they were working in their positions without any clear course as to where they were going,” he said. “They realised that one of the key items missing in their lives were that of mentors. During the facilitation of these workshops the members became aware that the changes they were looking to have in their country were going to have to start from within each and every one of them. They saw that they would need to change their lives.”He said their mission was to facilitate and influence the attendees to think, speak and act in such a way as to show them that they can make a positive difference not only in their lives but others as well.“We wanted them to see that while they were attempting to set things right that first they must see things right.” (You must envision what it is you want.)While the John Maxwell team was in Guatemala they impacted the lives of over 20,000 people. Those people are now expected to go out into their communities and continue the dialogue.Both the facilitators and Guatemalans were greatly changed by the experience. Some people thanked the Maxwell group profusely after the seminar and cried tears. The facilitators are still receiving thank yous by mail and through the internet.“They were so happy we showed up,” said Mr DiGiacomo.At the end of the programme Mr Maxwell told his followers it had been the greatest leadership week in his entire life.“Guatemala was in the rainy season and we were anticipating we could have challenges because of that,” said Mr DiGiacomo. “The first day we arrived there was a slight drizzle and then for the rest of the week there was no rain. Without getting overly religious we were saying this was meant to happen.”He would now like to take the lessons learned from Guatemala and put a team together in Bermuda to help transform the Island.“Bermuda needs its own transformational leadership to impact us,” he said. “We have a saying, Change Begins with Me. I am trying to establish the branding of leadership here. There is a great need for leadership training everywhere.”For more information contact Mr DiGiacomo at bermudabob@me.com.