The day of Compassion keynote started out just like any other. The crowd filtered into the room, awash in the green glow of the lights around them, waiting patiently for the talks to start. It wasn’t until Dr. Richard Fernandez took the stage, however, that the audience realized this talk would be different. To some, it would be one of the most important keynotes they’d heard at Dreamforce so far.

“Compassion is a macro force. Every single one of us have an innate capacity for compassion. And through the power of compassion we can transform not only ourselves but the world,”Dr. Fernandez began. “It is sometimes misunderstood as being nice or being passive, but nothing could be further from the truth.”

The technology and the business community have so much to contribute to bringing out compassion in the world, and bringing that out in each other is the best way to make a difference. Here are five lessons you should learn from the Day of Compassion Keynote:

1. The Key Qualities That Enable Compassion Are Within All of Us

The capacity to cultivate a quality of kindness and goodwill, to take action in whatever measure you can to reduce suffering in the world, and to be of benefit and service to all are key qualities that enable compassion, according to Dr. Fernandez. It’s about having a positive impact on the world, and making a difference in any way that you can.

“The purpose of business is to improve the state of the world,” said Dr. Fernandez, paraphrasing Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce. It’s true-- compassion isn’t just good for making the world a better place; it’s good for improving business and organizations as well. Every person has the capacity to bring these qualities into their everyday life and business. It’s up to you to decide when you will begin to create change through the power of positive impact.

2. You Can Take Compassion to Scale

Compassion is within all of us, but how do we bring it out in a work environment? As Dr. Larry Brilliant pointed out in his talk on the meaning of compassion, “It doesn't feel very compassionate in the outside world...The airwaves are filled with hate. So what do we do about that?”

According to a study by PNAS, compassion is contagious. If you are treated kindly, you’re more likely to treat others kindly as well. But how do you make compassion sustainable? According to Dr. Brilliant, the answer could lie in a method that creates an engine of doing good.

“In order to have an organization, a company, continue to put compassion into action in a sustainable way, there has to be an economic model that allows that to continue,” said Dr. Brilliant. “[Marc Benioff] didn’t just give money to create Salesforce.org, he didn’t just give equity, he didn’t just ask people to volunteer. He actually gave a license for Salesforce.org to two markets--the education market and the nonprofit market...It’s using the business model to create a social benefit company within the construct of a public company, and it’s amazing.”

3. A Compassionate Workforce is a Successful Workforce

Giving employees opportunities to build compassion can be more beneficial than you’d think. According to a study by the University of Pennsylvania, companies with higher levels of companionate love can have lower levels of absenteeism and employee burnout than others without. This means more great work from your employees and more work done.

Bringing this notion to scale is simple-- it just starts with one positive act.

The same study showed that a  positive workplace is more successful over time because it increases positive emotions and the well-being of both workers and clients.Empowering employees by providing volunteer opportunities is a great way to create a culture of compassion within your workforce.

“This is what any company can do. Sometimes it's called corporate social responsibility. But the point is you do good as well as doing well,” said Dr. Daniel Goleman in his talk on the value of compassion in work and life. “I happen to believe that companies are an enormous force for good.”

4. Work With Your Fears Instead of Avoiding Them

The creative journey is not one where you leave fear behind; it’s one where you bring fear along with you, according to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic: Creative Living Without Fear. As Gilbert mentioned in her talk on compassion and creativity in a space, fear is what destroys ideas and reduces your ability to move forward, but building on that fear and listening to what it has to say can also help you.

“We live in a culture that has this disastrously illogical idea that says fear shouldn’t be [there]...It shows that we have skin in the game. It shows it matters. It shows that we’re doing something that we’ve never done before,” said Gilbert. “That’s what I think is the essence of creative compassion-- of course it’s scary!” By acknowledging your fear and allowing it to be heard but not take control, you give yourself a valuable gift-- the gift of compassion towards yourself.

5. Attention is Now Your Most Valuable Commodity

The end of the keynote involved a brilliant talk and demonstration by the The Zen Monks and Nuns of the Plum Village Monastery on mindfulness and compassion as a way of life. One thing that they taught above all else? Attention is no longer something you can take for granted. In this fast-paced world, the time you’re able to give others has been reduced from minutes to seconds.

“The most valued commodity we have now is our attention,” said Brother Spirit.

The key is preserving it for something worth it, and using it wisely. Give people your attention when they need it, and you will receive the same back. In the business world, attention is less barter-and-trade and more mutual-exchange worthy. Utilize it.