Flippen Leadership Institute

Forging Leaders of Integrity and Purpose

Established in 2025, the Flippen Leadership Institute develops leaders of integrity and purpose to address today’s crisis of trust in leaders and institutions. Rooted in Texas A&M University’s Core Values and bearing the name of Susan and Flip Flippen, renowned pillars in the leadership consulting industry, the institute delivers transformative leadership development through experiential programs, high-impact networking, groundbreaking research, and cross-industry collaboration.

“The future of our world depends on the quality and character of our leaders — and the Flippen Leadership Institute is uniquely poised to meet that need by developing a new generation who lead with integrity and purpose.”

— Stephen Courtright, Director, Flippen Leadership Institute

Institute Overview

Trust in leadership is at an all-time low. But at Texas A&M — where respect, integrity, and selfless service are defining core values — we’re committed to changing that narrative. The Flippen Leadership Institute exists to forge a new generation of leaders who know that true leadership is about more than results. It’s about purpose, integrity, and values that bring out the best in others. Above all, it’s about character.

The institute’s evidence-based approach prioritizes challenging experiences, meaningful relationships, and structured learning opportunities as catalysts for growth. Through initiatives like the Lead with Purpose Executive Speaker Series, Business Fellows, and the Leadership Initiative Conference, the institute delivers transformative experiences that shape true leaders of character.

Whether you are a student deepening your skills, a seasoned leader sharing your journey, a prospective Aggie beginning your path, or an organization recruiting principled leaders, the Flippen Leadership Institute has something for you.

Programs and Events

Lead with Purpose Executive Speaker Series

A premier speaker series inspiring tomorrow’s leaders with today’s visionaries. Leaders from some of the world’s most respected and recognizable organizations will come to campus to share their leadership lessons through keynote talks and candid Q&A sessions.

View Series Information

Business Fellows

This high impact program provides exceptional business students with a transformative educational experience through specialized coursework, mentorship from industry leaders, and exclusive professional development opportunities. Fellows gain valuable real-world skills while building a powerful network of peers and professionals that enhances their career trajectory.

Business Fellows

Leadership Initiative Conference (LINC)

The Leadership Initiative Conference (LINC) is a one-day spring program for high school seniors to explore their leadership potential through experiential learning, faculty engagement, a case competition, and networking with Mays students. This cost-free experience, sponsored by ConocoPhillips, equips participants for future success while building a lasting network of peers and mentors.

Conference Information

Stephen Courtright standing in front of a pond

Our Team

Globally recognized leadership scholar Dr. Stephen Courtright serves as the Flippen Leadership Institute’s inaugural director, shaping its programs, research, and outreach. The institute is proud to partner with premier Mays faculty and leaders across Texas A&M’s campus throughout its programs, events, and research initiatives.

Institute Directory

Research

The Flippen Leadership Institute champions cutting-edge research by Texas A&M scholars on leadership and character. Discover how Mays Business School faculty are advancing our understanding of character in leadership — how it’s tested, why it’s challenging, and why it pays off.

Shilaan Alzahawi

Leaders chasing status and rank may rise quickly, but their effectiveness soon falters.

“Just Because You Want to Lead Doesn’t Mean You Should,” Harvard Business Review

Brian Chung

Humble leaders who share credit for success build deeper trust and stay in their roles longer.

“Be Careful What You Wish For: CEO and Analyst Firm Performance Attributions and CEO Dismissal,” Strategic Management Journal

Stephen Courtright

Leaders often feel threatened by employees who voice innovative ideas, leading them to control or isolate rather than empower those employees.

“Why Do Bootlickers Get Empowered More Than Boat-rockers? The Effects of Voice and Helping on Empowering Leadership Through Threat and Goal Congruence Perceptions,” Journal of Applied Psychology

Yong Kim

When companies emphasize external social responsibility but neglect employees, job seekers see through the façade.

“Help Yourself Before Helping Others: When Corporate Social Responsibility Does Not Make a Company More Attractive to Job Seekers,” Personnel Psychology

Joel Koopman

Fear discourages people from speaking up about harassment they witness at work, whereas anger fuels actions to make it stop.

“Who Speaks Up When Harassment Is in the Air? A Within-Person Investigation of Ambient Harassment and Voice Behavior at Work,” Journal of Applied Psychology

Huiwen Lian

Some leaders strategically manipulate employees by using verbal abuse followed by support in order to drive performance.

“Leaders’ Impulsive Versus Strategic Abuse, Goal Realization, and Subsequent Supportive Behaviors: A Self-Regulation Perspective,” Journal of Management

Madeline Ong

After failure, leaders who practice self-forgiveness are less likely to commit unethical behavior in the future.

“The Transforming Power of Self-Forgiveness in the Aftermath of Wrongdoing,” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

Yifan Song

Employees with strong performance goals may justify unethical behavior if they believe it benefits the organization.

“Performance Goal Orientation and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model,” International Journal of Human Resource Management

Meet the Flippens

Four Texas A&M HR students smiling and holding 1st place prize in the 2022 Purdue HR Case Competition.

Flip and Susan Flippen are the founders of the Flippen Group, where, for more than three decades, they have pursued their mission to “build relationships and processes that bring out the best in people.” 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. Flip, chairman of the Flippen Group, is a New York Times bestselling author and nationally recognized leadership expert who works with leaders in boardrooms, locker rooms, and briefing rooms across the globe. Susan, CEO of the Flippen Group, has been widely celebrated for her executive leadership and commitment to philanthropy.

Beyond their global influence, the Flippens are both Texas A&M graduates with deep roots in College Station, where they live on their ranch and enjoy time with their children and grandchildren.

Learn more about the Flippens