Marc Benioff, the model of a modern transformative leader

“Marc has been a towering exemplar of what it means to be an innovative and forward-thinking leader.”

So said Ken Frazier, the former CEO of Merck and Chief Executive’s 2021 CEO of the Year, on news of Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s CEO, receiving this year’s honor. And he is absolutely correct.

Chief Executive magazine’s Chief Executive of the Year is the oldest CEO recognition program in the United States. Over three decades, it has celebrated outstanding leadership across a wide range of industries and sectors. Marc is a worthy recipient and a fascinating study in the evolution of leadership over the years.

In many ways, Marc Benioff epitomizes the new generation of leaders.

Marc balances the traditional and essential work of leadership, such as setting strategy and holding others accountable with a deep connection to people – understandable given what Salesforce’s product suite delivers to businesses – as well as an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. As a prominent CEO, he does not side-step tough issues facing society and consistently fulfills the trust his employees, clients, and investors place in him.

What’s particularly interesting is that Marc’s own leadership arc challenges some of the norms and stereotypes we see across industry today. Since founding Salesforce in his apartment at the dawn of the dotcom era, he has led the business to become pre-eminent in its field. Along the way he has navigated the tricky path from founder to statesman-CEO. Though not unique in this respect – Bill Gates comes to mind as a leader who has charted a similar course – Marc is worthy of recognition for the steadfast adherence to his principles and purpose.

Marc Benioff bucks the stereotype of the growth-at-all-costs obsessed tech founder. Since starting the company he has committed 1% of its equity to philanthropic work. He has consistently tackled gender pay disparity – in an industry known to have some serious challenges in terms of diversity and inclusion. He has also created a strong sense of belonging through the ‘Salesforce Ohana’.

A leader focused on equity and creating a deep and abiding connection with his or her enterprise is truly transformative and, even more significantly, will build solid foundations upon which the organization – and the many communities it impacts – can thrive.