David Allen Biography

David Allen is an author, consultant, and productivity expert recognized for his contributions to personal and organizational effectiveness. Allen claims to have held 35 professions before age 35, a diverse background that led him to develop a widely adopted framework for productivity. He began applying his productivity perspective with businesses while consulting at Lockheed's human resources department. What started as informal assistance for friends and small business owners evolved into a consulting and coaching practice serving corporate executives.

After years of research and practice, Allen wrote the international best-seller "Getting Things Done." Published in multiple languages, TIME magazine described it as "the defining self-help business book of its time." Allen later released a new edition of the book, offering updated insights and applications of the GTD methodology. "Getting Things Done" has sold millions of copies and is recognized as a significant work in personal effectiveness. Allen also authored additional titles, including "Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life," "Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and the Business of Life," and co-authored "Team: Getting Things Done with Others," which explores group productivity using GTD principles.

The GTD method is based on moving tasks, information, and projects out of the mind by recording them externally and breaking them into actionable items with clear time limits. This approach allows individuals to focus attention on completing tasks listed in an external record. "GTD" has become shorthand for a comprehensive approach to managing professional and personal responsibilities, inspiring a culture of websites, organizational tools, seminars, and related resources. The David Allen Company oversees certification and quality standards for global partners offering Getting Things Done courses and coaching.

Allen's experience as a management consultant and executive coach has led to recognition by Fast Company as a personal productivity guru, Forbes as one of America's top five executive coaches, and The American Management Association as one of the top 10 business leaders. Wired described GTD as a "new cult for the info age," noting its popularity among information technology and knowledge workers. Allen's ideas have also been featured on The Howard Stern Show and across the Internet, including blogs such as 43 Folders, Lifehacker, and The Simple Dollar.

BOOK David Allen

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/06/2026.

David Allen Speaking Topics

  • Making It All Work.

  • Ready For Anything.

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David Allen Videos

GTD's David Allen: When There's Too Much To Do - YouTube

GTD's David Allen: When There's Too Much To Do - YouTube

Sometimes even GTD author David Allen feels that there's not enough time to do all that needs to be done. He offers some advice.

Are you out of your mind? | David Allen | TEDxCuracao

Are you out of your mind? | David Allen | TEDxCuracao

Most people are trying to manage much of their life and work in their minds, but your head is a lousy office! Recent cognitive science research has...

Your Head Is a Lousy Office! | David Allen

Your Head Is a Lousy Office! | David Allen

David Allen's Big Idea speech at the 2018 VitalSmarts REACH conference.

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David Allen is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Making It All Work., Ready For Anything., Leveraging Focus and Vision - Harnessing the Power of Imagery in Life and Work., Getting Things Off Your Mind and Getting Them Done - The Zen of Inbox Maintenance., Making Change Stick - the Two Magic Ingredients. and What's On Your Mind? How to Stop Unproductive Thinking and Get Things Done.. The estimated speaking fee range to book David Allen for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. David Allen generally travels from Amsterdam, Netherlands and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Marcus Buckingham, Patrick Lencioni, Joseph Grenny, Adrian Gostick and Dr. Kevin Freiberg. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling David Allen for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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