The question that Mark Zuckerberg inspires Facebook employees to ask themselves (FB)

Michael Seto / Business Insider

Leaked messages from Mark Zuckerberg from the early days of Facebook portray the founder as a flippant jerk.

But that image of yesterday's Zuckerberg clashes completely with the CEO's new focus on philanthropy and his recent $45 billion donation to causes like curing disease and personalizing education. 

When asked about the CEO's transformation, Facebook ads executive Carolyn Everson said at Business Insider's Ignition conference that Zuckerberg is the kind of person who "constantly wants to improve himself."

And he's come a long way from his shady college self.

Everson describes Zuckerberg as someone who "never settles for the status quo," and who has "a work ethic that's second to none."

Working with him has actually inspired her and other Facebook employees to ask themselves one question all the time.

"Each day at work, when we think about what our goals are, and how we should think about the business, I always look at myself and say, 'Am I dreaming big enough?'" Everson said. "Because look at what he's doing now. He's dreaming about a world that literally everyone has the ability to connect to the internet. He's dreaming of a world where people have a voice. He's dreaming of a world where we're disease free in 10 to 15 years."

Everson says that his intellectual curiosity and ambition make him an incredible person to work for.

"He makes us all better every day because you can't help but look in the mirror and think, 'I've got to improve, because that's who I'm working for.'"

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