As a senior in high school, Christian Dahneke realized that the younger members of his church congregation looked up to him. So, before he graduated, he and his friends decided to be better examples, and Dahneke says he’s carried a passion for building people up ever since: “I learned in that really small example that I can be a leader, and that I can help people feel the love of the Savior and grow closer to Him.”
Dahneke, now an MBA student at the BYU Marriott School of Business, says he has chosen professional opportunities that have allowed him to continue developing as a leader. As an undergraduate student at BYU, he worked as a peer mentor for the Office of First-Year Experience during the school years and mentored youth as an EFY counselor over the summers. Upon graduating, he taught seminary before moving his family to Minnesota, where he worked for a company that focused on leadership development programs and fundraising for elementary and middle schools.
It was while working in Minnesota that Dahneke first became interested in human resources as a career. “I really enjoyed training and developing people,” he says, “getting them from one area—whether it’s a strength or a weakness—and trying to level them up.”
Looking to incorporate developing people into his career, Dahneke started researching graduate programs, considering master of HR degrees as well as MBA programs. He ultimately decided to come to BYU Marriott as he considered the positive professional reputation that he’s seen BYU Marriott MBA alumni have. “I knew that coming to BYU Marriott would help me stand out in whatever I do,” he says.
Dahneke says he initially felt some trepidation about getting an MBA with little business experience, but his worries eased when he saw the support among students in the program. “I realized that in this environment, there’s an overarching attitude of ‘Hey, we're in this together,’” he says. “I've really enjoyed experiencing that while being a part of the top MBA HR program in the country and feeling like I’m surrounded by absolute geniuses.”
Recognizing the talent of those around him, Dahneke says he realized he could learn from his peers. “You can go so much further with people than without,” he says. At the same time, he came to realize that he had value to contribute as well. “Coming in with a teaching background has helped me to view others in terms of their potential and see everyone’s unique gifts,” he says. “When others get down on themselves, I try to point them to their strengths and the positive impact that they have.”
Dahneke’s first year in the MBA program culminated in a human resources summer internship with PepsiCo. He describes how learning about Christlike leadership as an MBA student helped him when he was presented with challenges at work: “When I was talking with managers that were having a hard time with some employees, it was an opportunity for me to help them see people in a different light instead of labeling them as a certain type of person,” he says.
Dahneke says he hopes to continue spreading light as he prepares to go back to PepsiCo as a full-time employee after graduating. “I want people who interact with me to walk away from every interaction either feeling better or feeling heard,” he says. “There are too many opportunities to take a jab at someone or something; there’s just so much more room for positivity.”
