Barry is intrigued by what enables people to be successful in leadership roles. After 30-plus years of studying, teaching, and coaching in the field of leadership development, he believes that the best leaders – and the best teachers and researchers for that matter – are those willing to challenge their own mindsets.

For most of his career, Barry was assistant dean for professional development at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, the University of Texas at Austin.  As part of the school’s public service, external-facing efforts, Barry was responsible for designing/offering leadership development programs and services for primarily government agency and university executives.  Barry loved being part of both the rigorous learning environment of a university and the practical application of working with executives to improve their practice of leadership. He has taught, coached, and consulted with clients and organizations throughout Texas, the U.S., and nine foreign countries. Barry helped establish and still teaches in the LBJ School’s “Executive Master in Public Leadership” degree program, which has as its purpose to prepare mid-career, experienced leaders with the skills and thinking capacities needed for executive-level roles in public and not-for-profit organizations. In addition to his teaching duties, he also serves as the executive education advisor to the students in the EMPL program.

Barry has a PhD in Adult and Human Resource Development Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s in Public Administration from Texas State University. Additionally, he has certifications in MBTI, emotional intelligence, mediation, the Leadership Circle assessment, and Growth Edge Coaching.

Barry lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife Janet. They have two grown children and two grandchildren. His favorite pastimes are backpacking in wilderness areas in the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado, snow skiing, and sitting on any beach, anywhere.