...Entrepreneurial Leadership Entrepreneurs are aggressive promoters for change in the world of business opportunities. Entrepreneurial leaders play a critical role in society by developing an idea, implementing it, and building a successful business based on it. The characteristics of seeking opportunities, taking risks beyond security, and having the tenacity to push an idea through to reality are hallmarks of successful entrepreneurs (Frye, 2009). The two leading entrepreneurs who will be addressed in this assignment were not necessarily born great, but achieved greatness through their business savvy and their resolute entrepreneurial spirit. The first entrepreneur is Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey revolutionized the talk show market with her unique and natural style and rose to become the host of the most watched daytime show on television, which at its height boasted 12 million viewers daily (Sellers, 2011). Her leadership ability and her business acumen make her an excellent example of a profit-oriented entrepreneur. The second entrepreneur is Ervin "Magic" Johnson. Mr. Johnson is renowned for his illustrious, 13-year career with the National Basketball Association, but he has redefined himself as a prominent businessman with the objective to revitalize and provide quality entertainment and services to neglected, urban communities in the United States (Burns, 2011) . As opposed to a business entrepreneur whose main objective is to reap financial rewards for his/her...
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...Oprah Winfrey the Consummate Philanthropist HU300-21 Oprah Winfrey the Consummate Philanthropist Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi, on January 29, 1954. She grew up in a poor abusive environment of rape and molestation. With the help of her father she learned to turn her anger and pain into positive energy to overcome her adversity. Her inner drive and determination helped propel her on the road to success and today she is the head of a billion dollar media empire. Oprah dedicates her success to black female predecessors such as author Maya Angelou, 19th century abolitionist Sojourner Truth and entrepreneur Madame CJ Walker. She feels these women are an integral part of her legacy and helped define her belief that she is the “seed of the free” (“Magazine”, 2001-2010). Yes, she is Oprah Winfrey journalist, T.V. host, movie star, business woman and consummate philanthropist. Her charitable work is inspired by her “faith in humanity and her belief in the human spirit”. Oprah has been blessed and wants to share her blessings to help make a difference in the lives of others (Bloomberg, 2004). She had always given money to charities but never really felt any connection to the organizations she was contributing to. She has since made it her mission to provide opportunities for equal rights and education for women and children. It is her compassion for mankind that has inspired her to create several charitable organizations. These charitable organizations...
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...Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell computer corporation that is the world’s largest direct computer company. He is also the youngest person ever to head a Fortune 500 firm. He is the longest-serving CEO in the computer industry. For his 15th birthday, Dell received a brand new Apple II computer, which he took up to his bedroom and promptly dismantled. With the bowels of the machine spread around the room, he began to understand for the first time the gap between what a computer user might want and what was actually available. That knowledge grew as he began to investigate the more powerful IBM PC. These machines were the future, he thought. "I didn't know how big the computer industry would become," Dell recalls, "I just thought it was an unbelievable opportunity. It was irresistible to me." PC's Ltd was born with $1,000 in capital and a simple question: how could Dell make the process of buying computers more efficient, more profitable? The prevailing wisdom back in the early 1980s was that in order for this new technology to penetrate the market quickly and effectively, computers should be sold through the existing retail network. For such a new and complicated product, this wasn't an ideal distribution system. Retailers weren't all that effective at explaining what all the bells and whistles actually did. And then there was the price. Dell knew from his bedroom tinkering that the parts which made up a $3,000 IBM machine were available individually for a fifth of...
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...Abstract Do you know who Oprah Winfery is? Well she is famous for many reasons. She is an actress, entrepreneur philanthropist television personality and the most influential and richest woman in the united states. Oprah winfery story is one of triumph over many hardships. Her education and strength of purpose had allowed her to achieve more than what most Americans would, coming from her background. This paper will explore Oprah Winfery compelling life story. Oprah Gail winfery was born in Kosciusko Mississippi. Her parents Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey soon separated after she was born and left her in the care of her maternal grandmother on the farm until the age of six. Much latter in her life she was hired to work in WVOL radio, in Nashville, and therefore began her broadcasting career at the age of seventeen. Oprah Gail winfery father had instilled the importance of education in her. Because of that she enrolled at Tennessee state university. There she majored in speech communication and performing arts. Those years were the background for her staggering success! Oprah winfery life has been full of purpose since her late teens. She moved from radio host , to news anchor, to talk show host movie actress and entrepreneur and philanthropist. Oprah has earned herself a faithful...
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...Imagine getting everything you desire by just thinking about it, going shopping without caring how much you spend. Unfortunately, that is not how the world works. Everyone achieves success by working for it. Success is a relative term that varies for everyone. Some might view success as fame and wealth, while others would say it’s all about happiness and love. However, whether it is being wealthy, famous, or happy nothing comes in packages; they have to be worked for. Education is the first pillar in being successful. It helps a person to think critically and analyse situation from different point of views. The second pillar to success is a successful career; this allows meeting new people and network with some of the brightest people. The last pillar of success is to be financially strong. Being financially strong helps a person be independent. In my opinion success is taking the right measures and working hard to achieve a high-level of education, a successful career, and being financially strong. Education is known as the key to success. The educated the person the more likely it is to be successful. Learning is power that at a different level than others. Education is not always about studying and reading books; it is taking your experience and applying what you have learned to live a more prosperous life. An article from Bloomberg called “Obama Tells Students That Hard Work in School Pays Off for Future Success” quotes Obama saying “Excelling, whether it’s in school...
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...Business Research Paper Oprah Gail Winfrey is one of the richest entrepreneurs in the world and is a woman of inspiration, leadership, power, and most of all business. Oprah was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Oprah is the daughter of a sailor and barber, Vernon Winfrey, and maid and dietician, Vernita Lee. Oprah was raised by her grandmother as a child and then was caught between her mother and father as she got older. Her father was a man who cared deeply about Oprah even though he might not have been her biological father, but in her heart her daddy was home. As a child Oprah was exposed to reading and she quickly grew a love for books and it became her way to cope with a difficult life that was still ahead of her. During the time she was back and forth between her parents Oprah was raped as a teen, and at the age of 14 she became pregnant not knowing who the father was, the baby was stillborn. Her father quickly came to the rescue, took her in and made sure she knew just how much he meant to her and he didn’t let go. Oprah claims her father saved her life. With the past left behind and the best yet to come, Winfrey signed up for the local beauty pageant, Miss Nashville, in 1971 and she won. All the locals knew Oprah Winfrey, and this led her to her first job. WVOL, the local radio station gave Oprah her first break reading news. She then took a job as an anchor for Nashville’s WTVF-TV and sooner or later the world needed to know who she...
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...Introduction An entrepreneur is defined as “person who seeks a profitable opportunity and takes the necessary risks to set up and operate a business” (Boone & Kurtz, 2011). There are several different types of entrepreneurs however profit oriented and socially responsible entrepreneurs will be analyzed. Oprah Winfrey, a profit oriented entrepreneur, in my opinion has transformed the culture with her media empire to become one the world’s most wealthy individuals to date. At the other end of the spectrum, Shazi Visram is a socially responsible entrepreneur that has transcended to the forefront of organic premium baby food. Both of these entrepreneurs have taken risks in order to reach and engage their audiences through their selective approaches to business. Profit Oriented Entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey is an entrepreneur, visionary, pioneer, television producer and philanthropist. She is the founder and CEO of Harpo Productions, Inc., which is a media outlet for her daytime talk show, movies, radio station, magazine and website. Her nationally acclaimed company provides a source of entertainment for millions of viewers in several different countries. “Oprah was the richest African American of the 20th century and the world’s only Black billionaire for three years running (Oprah Winfrey, 2011).” Oprah’s leadership is relayed through her charismatic personality, her commitment to education, her visionary ability to inspire, influence and persuade culture through her various media...
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...Belinda Hicks UNIV103 OPRAH WINFREY Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest African American women in the world but she had to overcome alot of trials and tribulations to get where she is today. She has is the host of a talkshow, own her own network on television, and has starred in a number of movies. Oprah became very successful when she started in the media as a news reporter-anchor and a morning-show host. She also is the first african american woman to own a company called Harpo. "Oprah Winfrey (WIHN-free) was born to Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey, a young unmarried couple barely out of their teens. Vernon was in the armed forces when a postcard from Vernita notified him that he had become a father. Winfrey’s first name was to have been Orpah, but a misspelling on her birth certificate renamed the child Oprah." Reference: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.cecybrary.com/eds/external?sid=82227a9e-24e5-4dd4-9524-291d010d2d2b%40sessionmgr4005&vid=3&hid=4202 American television host, actress, producer, philanthropist and entrepreneur Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. After a troubled adolescence in a small farming community, where she was sexually abused by a number of male relatives and friends of her mother, Vernita, she moved to Nashville to live with her father, Vernon, a barber and businessman. She entered Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville....
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...Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey is a strong and courageous and loving women and today I will tell you a bit about her life.I will say about her early life.Some of her personal info like birth date.Some of her accomplishments in life.Lastly, why is Oprah important. She was born on January 29,1954 and her age is 63 years old.Her parents were Vernon and Vernita there were not married .She was born on an isolated farm. Her parents were soon separated after her birth. Then she was raised by her mom and Grandma. In kindergarten she wrote a note to her teacher saying. Why she should skip a grade or two after that she was guaranteed to go to third grade after the first break.Also in 1986 Oprah got married to Stedman Graham. She had a long and beautiful...
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...Oprah Winfrey is an example of an entrepreneur who has reached legendary status not only in the United States but also worldwide. Overcoming a life of hardship, Oprah leaped over all obstacles to become one of the richest and most successful self-made women in history. Her career started at a news station in Nashville where she became the first African American co-anchor. She dropped out of college her senior year to move to Baltimore to co-anchor the nightly news in Baltimore. Although reading the news did not play to Oprah’s strengths, the opportunity soon arose for her to host her own talk show. Her connection with the audience, her viewers, and her guests on this show is what led to her success in this medium and paved the way for her future successes as she hosted one of the most popular talk shows of all time “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Oprah success as an entrepreneur has been as a business owner, talk show host, philanthropist, actor, producer, director, and author. The greatest economic decision Oprah has made in her career was when she formed Harpo Productions, purchased a production studio in Chicago, and began producing her own talk show (Entrepreneur 2008). This decision gave her complete control over the resources she would need to build a successful business and an even more successful show. It also allowed her to employ hundreds of staff members from all over the world which gave a much needed boost to the Chicago economy. Harpo studios was also the home to other...
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...2013 Oprah Winfrey Erin Phillips ECO2123 2013 Oprah Winfrey Erin Phillips ECO2123 Oprah Winfrey is more than just a talk show host, a celebrity or a cultural figure. She is a genius entrepreneur. She has made some of the smartest decisions. Every now and then in history, we find a life story that is truly remarkable. Oprah Winfrey ventured forth from the agonizing childhood that was her world of common day to a region of supernatural wonder. Oprah’s road to success was not an easy task. From her early childhood, Oprah challenged many fabulous forces that she encountered. Oprah Winfrey tells the life story one of America's richest and most successful show business personalities. When Oprah Winfrey told her 49 million viewers, "It just stopped me cold from eating another burger!" about the Mad cow disease, she wouldn't know it would cost the beef industry $12 million. Texas cattlemen tried to sue Oprah for causing this such massive downfall, but she would. Oprah Winfrey was once a constantly abused thirteen year old girl. Now she is arguably the most famous African American woman and her talk show is highly regarded as the most talked about show in America. Her show has influenced many to change their lives and help others out. Abraham Lincoln once said, "I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards." This quote of perseverance could describe her life. Oprah Winfrey's abusive childhood has driven her to make something out of herself and others...
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...Similarly to Ellen DeGenres, Oprah Winfrey was also a phenomenon in the entertainment industry. In fact she had reached greater heights in her success, earning herself the no. 1 spot in Forbes’ Top Ranked Hollywood Hosts. However, despite the similarity in both women’s line of work, Oprah differs in her style of performance - Oprah Winfrey discusses serious topics, often with the implementation of psychology and input from professionals in whichever subject she discusses. Due to the nature of her show, Oprah relies a lot on knowledge, information, as well as intellect as compared to Ellen DeGeneres who’s somewhat dependent on her Charisma and affability. Unlike Ellen, Oprah has had a history in communication and broadcasting, where she had been involved in Radio and Television whilst in Nashville back in 1971, and where she first got the attention of fans on a hit television talkshow, later in ’76. With all the experience she gained from continuous work in the broadcasting industry, Oprah developed a skill in communicating with interviewees on live television. The experience she had gained is illustrated in her calm and collected manner where she presents her very well organised speech to the person with which she converses on air. After a few years of moving from school to school in her teenage years, Oprah had committed herself whilst pursuing her degree at the Tennessee State University. Oprah Winfrey is now armed with a Bachelor’s in Arts and Science. Her parents did...
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...Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century the greatest black philanthropist in American history. She is currently North America's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world. American television host, actress, producer, philanthropist and entrepreneur Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. After a troubled adolescence in a small farming community, where she was sexually abused by a number of male relatives and friends of her mother, Vernita, she moved to Nashville to live with her father, Vernon, a barber and businessman. She entered Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville. In 1976, Oprah Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she hosted the TV chat show People Are Talking. The show became a hit and Winfrey stayed with it for eight years, after which she was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show, A.M. Chicago. Her major competitor in the time slot was Phil Donahue. Within several months, Winfrey's open, warm-hearted personal style had won her...
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...Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in a rural town of Kosciusko Mississippi on January 29, 1954. After a very abusive adolescent years of being sexually abused by male relatives Oprah went to live with her father in Nashville, TN. Oprah attended Tennessee State University and shortly after began working in television and radiobroadcasting in Nashville. One of Oprah success led her into the Award winning role on the movie “Color Purple” where she was nominated Best Supporting Actress. Winfrey is also known for hosting and producing “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. There are many strength that you can see or think of when you think of Oprah Winfrey. There are not very many people in the world that are as familiar as Oprah who is roughly worth $2.7 billion and has also been esteemed as one of the most powerful women in the world. Oprah is also one of the most powerful entrepreneurs in the United States. Oprah has been liberal in donating millions of dollars to different charities each year. Oprah established the Oprah Winfrey Foundation to support, motivate, enable and to educate women, children and families around the world. Through her private charity, Oprah has awarded hundreds of grants to organizations to carry out this vision. She has contributed millions of dollars towards providing a better education for underprivileged students who have value but no means.” Oprah Winfrey serves as the national spokesperson for A Better Chance, an organization that provides academically talented high...
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