Jeffrey S. Bednar

Jeffrey S. Bednar hadn’t planned on becoming a BYU professor. He loved his time as a student there— his degree in accounting at the Marriott Business School prepared him for PhD research at the University of Michigan— but staying in Utah wasn’t something he intended to do. However, the Lord had other plans, and Bednar returned to BYU as a faculty member in 2013, the same year he completed his PhD in management and organizations.  

Bednar loves the opportunity that teaching at BYU has given him to mentor, support, and connect with students. “Some of my favorite teaching experiences happen in my office, when a student comes with a concern or a life decision that they’re wrestling with,” he says. “To me, chances to be a mentor, a sounding board, or a help to them are the most meaningful.”1 

Bednar’s research has focused on interpersonal connections in professional settings, the identity struggles that leaders face, and the impact that those leaders can have on an organization. He has found that connection and friendship can help an organization thrive, and his work has been widely published and used by many organizations.  

He has also studied extensively the art of happiness. In a devotional address given at Ensign College in 2015, he described five strategies for happiness: living righteously, working diligently, giving generously, thanking frequently, and enduring patiently.2 Bednar has exemplified these principles in his own life as a professor, as a father, and as a friend.  

“I’m grateful to be able to teach in ways at BYU that I couldn’t at any other institution,” Bednar says.3 He believes that the opportunity he has to share his faith as a professor has blessed him, his family, and his students, and will continue to do so for years to come.  

Notes 

1. Katie Brimhall, “Building Connection Through Personal Experience,” BYU Marriott School of Business Employee Spotlight, 29 January 2025, https://marriott.byu.edu/stories/employee-spotlight/building-connection-through-personal-experience.
2. Jeffrey S. Bednar, “A Future of Happiness,” Ensign College devotional address, 17 March 2015.
3. “Building Connection Through Personal Experience.”