TIME to Lead

TIME has recognized the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business on its inaugural list of The Best Colleges for Future Leaders. The list includes the top 100 colleges, both public and private, that are forging the path to the future by shaping U.S. leaders.  

“At Bauer College, we do not just teach leadership — we create the next-generation leaders,” Bauer College Dean Paul A. Pavlou said. “Across all our programs, we emphasize leadership development and encourage students to apply their leadership skills in real-life settings.”  

 Bauer College is included as a notable subsidiary, one of six schools in Texas to be recognized and the top Houston university featured. TIME partnered with Statista for the list, analyzing 2,000 résumés of top leaders, ranging from CEOs, politicians, and Nobel winners.   

The college offers leadership courses and tracks at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, along with training for leaders and managers in Executive Education. In addition, the college’s Inclusive Leadership Institute, housed in the Department of Management & Leadership, bridges academia and industry to provide leadership research, development opportunities, and industry practices.  

 “You don't usually start off in a leadership role but emerge into it through your behaviors, and that’s what we are teaching students,” said Professor Steve Werner, who also serves as chair of the Department of Management & Leadership. “We give students the leadership framework and mental map to be seen as high potential employees by companies.”  

 Bauer College also offers students the opportunity to develop as leaders outside the classroom through student organizations, leadership series, and other opportunities, including the Ted Bauer Leadership Certificate Program, a selective year-long program with weekly workshops, team-building exercises, assessments, and peer discussions.   

 “Leadership is the overarching framework that drives a lot of what we are doing,” Werner said. “Everything is couched in leadership. When we started focusing on leadership as a college, we wanted to set the standard, so it’s nice to see us getting that recognition through this TIME ranking.