Flippen Leadership Institute Sets a New Standard for Values-Based Leadership Development

Mays Business School at Texas A&M University proudly announces the launch of the Flippen Leadership Institute, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to forging leaders of integrity and purpose across the university and beyond.

Rooted in Texas A&M’s Core Values and inspired by the work of leadership experts and Aggie alumni Flip and Susan Flippen, the institute aims to address the growing need for principled leadership amidst today’s crisis of trust in leaders.

“Texas A&M is distinct because of its commitment to the Aggie Core Values,” said Dr. Nate Y. Sharp, dean of Mays Business School. “The Flippens are quintessential Aggies because they have embodied these values throughout their lives, and they are committed to ensuring these values will define future generations of leaders. The Flippen Leadership Institute will be a catalyst for developing principled leaders and celebrating Texas A&M’s proud tradition of shaping leaders whose influence extends across industries, communities, and nations. We will show the world what being a leader of character is all about.”

The Flippen Leadership Institute is committed to developing students into leaders who understand that leadership is about more than results — it’s about character and a consistent commitment to values that bring out the best in others. Dr. Stephen Courtright will lead that mission as the inaugural director of the institute. A Presidential Impact Fellow, the Flip and Susan Flippen Endowed Chair, and a professor of management, Courtright began his academic career at Mays and returned in 2025 after five years at the University of Iowa, where he served as director of executive education and founded the Tippie Leadership Collaborative.

Flippen Leadership Institute director Stephen Courtright

Within Mays, as well as through collaboration across the university and beyond, the institute will deliver transformative leadership development through experiential programs, high-impact networking, and cutting-edge research.

“I firmly believe that leadership shapes the world, and that the future of our world depends on the quality of our future leaders,” said Courtright. “It’s a pressing societal need to have principled leaders in business and beyond. And the Flippen Leadership Institute is uniquely poised to develop a new generation of leaders who lead with integrity and purpose — while partnering with others who share the same vision.”

The institute will unite several of Mays’ longstanding leadership initiatives, including the Business Fellows program and the Leadership Initiative Conference for incoming freshmen. The new Lead with Purpose Executive Speaker Series launching this fall will give students the chance to hear about the leadership journeys of industry titans. Other efforts, including a podcast launching in spring 2026, will further tap into the Aggie Network to shine a light on industry leaders who had their start at Texas A&M University, the No. 1 public university in America for producing Fortune 500 CEOs, according to a 2024 report by Strategas Research Partners. The institute is also helping to support the university’s Citizenship and Service Initiative, uniting with other entities on campus that are committed to developing leaders of character.

For Susan and Flip Flippen, the Flippen Leadership Institute will amplify their mission to build relationships and processes that bring out the best in people and help entrust a future generation with the values and skills to be more trustworthy and effective leaders. The founders of the Flippen Group and one of the only couples ever named Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year, the Flippens have impacted thousands of schools, Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, and government organizations over more than three decades of work in leadership consulting.

“No organization can rise above the constraints of its leadership. The focus on leadership is the most critical part of any organization,” said Flip Flippen, also a New York Times bestselling author. “Some students are going to go and lead organizations. But they’re also going to be leading their families and their careers. The Flippen Leadership Institute will help prepare them to do that more purposefully and excellently.”