Barry Nugent - Home

Through my career of over forty years in community public service, as a Firefighter, I have witnessed many different forms and styles of leadership. While at the executive leadership level in the fire service, and serving  in Church governance,  as a Lead Elder, my exposure to leadership has seen broad boundaries.

Leadership functions everywhere. It is present in the home, church, government, and private industry, whether followers are paid, volunteers or, heredity , as in a family.  A leader possess authority either positional or due to influential relationship. Leadership occurs in relationship - either positively or negatively.

As Lord Acton opined "Power corrupts and absolute power, absolutely. " Understanding the corrupting nature of power lead me, early on in my life, to examine my own philosophy of leadership. I saw authoritarian, laissez-fair, toxic, and aloof styles of leadership. I began to practice, though imperfectly, a different model of leadership; servant-leadership. This grew out of a changed heart through the personal work of Jesus Christ in my life. Servant-leadership, more specifically God centered leadership, is more then a leadership style. It is a mater of "being" a servant-leader rather than "doing" what a servant-leader should  do.

Armed with this sense of "being," my personal leadership experience of over forty years, and scholastic inquiry, gave opportunity to a new way. Thus, True Leadership was formed.

Our goal is to impact people, one at a time, by training them in the principles of God centered servant-leadership. Realizing that, as good as the servant-leadership philosophy may be, a change in the heart is needed because of human nature and our propensity towards self.  Consequently, you are viewing the web site that offers an avenue for a different way of engaging in leadership.  We offer alternate training to the prevalent approach to leadership. Please explore this site to see if a greater understanding of God centered servant-leadership, in the family, the church, or your business could be of help.

Servant-leaders, as discribed by Robert Greenleaf, who coined the term,  makes sure followers "highest priority needs are being served" and that they are  "becoming  healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants." This attitudinal change fosters growth in cared-for followers and stimulates loyalty, increased productivity, and a healthy caring environment within any institution practicing these principles.