“I want to have an impact on the world. But it’s not about monuments — it’s about the impact I have on communities around me.” - Tony Prophet

In eighty-degree heat — a rare Indian summer’s day in San Francisco — Dreamforce attendees lined up around the block to attend Marc Benioff and Tony Prophet’s fireside chat at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Marc Benioff kicked off the session with an obligatory mention of the Giants: “It’ll be interesting to see what happens with the Giants and Dreamforce — at the same time.” Tony Prophet then took the stage with an anecdote of how he and Marc first met through philanthropy. He commended Marc for using technology to create the best children’s care facility in the world (UCSF Benioff’s Children’s Hospital), and then went on to chronicle his own roots in philanthropy.

Prophet discussed Microsoft’s involvement in regions in which conflict arises due to valuable minerals that create incentive for oppression. Invariably, women and children are the victims that suffer said oppression. For Prophet, a natural question came to mind: “What can we do?” The answers were tangible: increase accountability of minerals, increase accountability of women’s roles in the supply chain, and improve women’s healthcare in conflict regions. Yet these solutions took much effort to be put into practice; they required strategy and focus. Tony mentioned how he had to turn away many issues brought to his attention in order to focus on the handful of issues to which he was already committed. A memorable quote from Prophet at this point in the session, “I want to have an impact on the world. But it’s not about monuments — it’s about the impact I have on communities around me.” 

Prophet went on to describe his learns from philanthropy and how it has impacted him as a leader. He cited empathy has his most valuable takeaway; his ability to empathize with people from different demographics is what led him to the philosophy that “nobody should be mistreated because they’re different — regardless of race, gender, or sexual identity.” A true leader, according to Prophet, is one who dares to surround him or herself with people who’ll tell them what they don’t want to hear. Self awareness is a critical trait for leadership, and it rarely comes from pure introspection: rarely do you think to yourself, “Hm, I realize that I’ve been wrong about that. For ten years.” Great leaders need to challenge themselves by truly listening to criticism, willing to admit mistakes, and willing to take the next step forward.

This session offered inspiration and food for thought without sounding overly preachy — a great way to start off at Dreamforce. Check out bluewolf.com/df14 for more Dreamforce content and coverage.