...Oprah and her Leadership Styles There are very few people on this planet that have the ability to be recognized solely by their first name and Oprah is one of them. She has been called “arguably the world’s most powerful woman” by CNN and Time.com. The American Spectator dubbed her “arguably the most influential woman in the world”. For many Oprah Winfrey is the embodiment of the American dream where the idea of economic opportunity and prosperity is attainable to anyone who would be willing to work hard and be a good citizen. Surely we have many things to learn from someone who has been able to come from a humble background to become one of the most influential women in the world. Oprah Gail Winfrey, who was actually named Orpah after a character in the bible, was born on January 29, 1954. Her family found it difficult to properly pronounce her name and would continually pronounce the “P” before the “R”. She was born into poverty in rural Kosciusko, Mississippi to a teenage single mother and experienced considerable hardship throughout her childhood. She was initially raised by a supportive grandmother, who taught her to read at the age of three, but at the very young age of six she was sent to live with her mother in an inner-city neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the age of nine she found herself sexually molested by male relatives whom continued to do so until the age of fourteen where she became pregnant but lost her son in infancy. Oprah then moved in with...
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...Chosen Leader: Oprah Winfrey There are many great leaders throughout the world but the leader that our group chooses to write about is Oprah Winfrey - one of the world’s most influential women. Oprah Winfrey was born in 1954, she is a famous American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. The reason why we choose Oprah is because our group has 5 ladies, all ambitious and want to be successful in life. Oprah is an example of a woman that had overcome many difficulties in life and became one of the richest women. Studying about her will help us apply her leadership style and hopefully be a better leader in the future. Why do you consider her as a leader? According to the definition of leadership we studied in...
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...a. I believe Oprah is a High Performance Leader. b. I would consider Oprah to be a Competent Manager. She is great at building teams and definitely gets results through others. Her leadership consists of: * Carefully selecting her team-she has highly qualified people in the areas that they need to be in and in the areas she is most weak in, such as the financial area. * She gathers trusted mentors and uses them for her benefit * She rewards her staff * She values her customers and more importantly she listens to them she shows she truly cares * She stays focused on a mission or vision * She communicates her vision to her staff and she has the innate ability to motivate them * She dreams big and is constantly looking for "what's next". * She knows herself and her beliefs and abilities * She remains resilient, she is constantly changing or looking for new things she has unbelieveable ambition, drive and focus * She learns from her mistakes and then right away moves on Reading about her employees though I would consider her to be more transactional to them than transformational, being very generous with pay and benefits. But other parts of the article stated how she praises but then right away she is on to the next new thing. c. Development Plan Development goals | Action -Who,What & How | Time Line | Criteria for Success | * What's next?Owning own network | 1. Set up meeting with top team leaders2. | Weekly | Staying competitive...
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...process by which an agent induces a subordinate to behave in a desired manner. There have been many great leaders in the past that fit the definitions above but there are others that do not seem to fit the standard definitions of leadership. Some leaders just have the capability to change people and organizations. One such person is Oprah Winfrey. I think Oprah is a great example of a transformational leader. As a child growing up in Mississippi, being poor, black and overweight was not enough to stop Oprah from pursuing the dreams she had for herself. In 1986, Harpo Productions, Oprah’s production company was formed. The production company was formed with the intention of bringing quality entertainment projects into production. In 1988, Oprah made television history by becoming the first woman to own and produce her own talk show. This show was very successful allowing her to achieve great financial success. Several years later, The Oprah Magazine was successfully introduced to the world. In 2003 Oprah Winfrey became the first African-American woman to reach billionaire status as seen in the Forbes magazine list of American billionaires. Oprah is trusted by a lot of people. She is both a manager and a leader. As a manager, she maintains and controls the organization. As the leader, she innovates and inspires others to become the best they can be. As a transformational leader, she presents a realistic image of the future that can be shared by others. Oprah’s subordinates are...
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...June 2, 2015 Leadership Style In order for an individual to be an effective leader they must have certain characteristics such as inspirational, focused, visionaries, strategic decisive, persuasive, open to negative and positive feedback, and likeable. Some leaders are able to leave memorable impression, by paying close attention to their surrounding for changes that may occur while, staying one step ahead. An effective leader is considered someone that can work through adversity and prevented the same mistakes from reoccurring. I chose Oprah Winfrey as an effective leader due to her qualities and characteristics, leadership traits, influential etc…. Oprah has made a name for herself all over the world by being admired, trusted, and respected. This paper will discuss Oprah Winfrey’s leadership characteristics and examples of leadership qualities. Mrs. Ferguson (mentor) and I will discuss leadership theories, styles, my leadership style, improving my effectiveness. Admired Leader Oprah Winfrey is a leader that I admire a great drill due to her skills and leadership traits. Oprah has proved to have what it takes to be a leader by her intelligence, honesty, self-confidence, and integrity. She has been in the business over 30 years and still going strong, her net worth is over $2.7 billion. Oprah’s unique style has encouraged her team and made it possible for her vision to be executed. Oprah believes in three branches of leadership; vision, team, and values (Goudreau, 2010)...
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...leadership? The text indicates that leadership is a complex phenomenon involving a leader, followers and a situation (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphey, 2009). One can also describe leadership to be a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphey, 2009). Another explanation of leadership is the nominal task of directing and coordinating the work of group members. Yet, it also entails the complex account of getting results through others, and the means of ability to build cohesive, goal-oriented teams, and verified to have different levels of effectiveness (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphey, 2009). The previous definitions are all portions of what leadership can mean on the different levels, for different tasks. The key to leadership is to maintain a balanced degree of all of listed characteristics. A person that is felt to possess all of these characteristics as a successful leader is Oprah Winfrey. This is an excellent lead-in to the introduction for the paper. Now address the essence of the paper (assignment) by providing sufficient background on the topic (a discussion of leadership and management, their similarities and differences) and a preview of the major points of discussion (the elements of the assignment). Use Oprah as the example to guide this discussion. Leader or Manager? Oprah Winfrey is in many ways a successful business woman. However, she could not...
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...Oprah Winfrey Rubina J. Hammond Business 302 Management November 25, 2012 For this assignment of leadership assessment I chose Oprah Winfrey to write about, she personifies a strong woman who is a natural born leader. She represents an error of women that despite life struggles and obstacles in her life, she is an advocate in empowering everyone in educating themselves, deterring what their goal was and pursue it, but least of all leadership. Born Oprah Gail Winfrey in Kosciusko Mississippi in 1954, she was introduced to her leadership potential at a young age living with her grandmother. She went from living with her grandmother who taught her to read and write, to living with her mother who never had time for her and she encounter abuse, her mother sent her to live with her father there she was introduce to a more structured and strict routine. Her father encourage her Oprah’s father was very strict and made education the number-one priority for Oprah. Although by high school she wasn’t precisely certain toward what she wanted to do, however she knew it was something with speaking or drama. Oprah was also elected school president and met with President Richard Nixon being a part of public speaking classes in her high-school. (Cinderella Stores Of Women Leaders: Connecting Leadership COntext and...
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...Leaders and Leadership Styles Sonya Small South University Online Faculty Britt Organizational Behavior/MGT3002 November 11, 2014 Debbi Fields Mrs. Field’s at the age of 20 began her company in 1977 in Palo Alto, California as Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery. Mrs. Fields believed in her motto “Making people feel special and important.” Mrs. Fields did not come from a wealthy family growing up, but she had a vision for herself to become a great business woman and entrepreneur. Mrs. Fields set her company on the Leadership-participation model. “A leadership theory that provides a set of rules to determine the form and amount of participative decision making in different situations (Robbins, Judge pg. 385-386).” When she started out she didn’t wont cookies that were made of imitation ingredients she believed that her cookies should be made from real products. She also believed that happiness is found in friends, family and enjoying what you do. When Mrs. Fields began her business her husband bet her on her first day that she wouldn’t sell 50.00 worth of cookies, realizing over half the day was gone and her husband was going to win the bet she took a platter filled with her cookies out into the street and began giving out her cookies by the end of the day she had cleared $75.00. Mrs. Fields was much of a transformational leader...
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...team and knowing the ministry situation. The subjects that will be addressed in this paper are viewing a successful leader and his or her leadership style, addressing why he or she is in the leadership role, and comparing both leadership styles. In addition it will identify traits that I can learn from the successful leader along with identifying the strengths I have, which can be beneficial to the successful leader. Oprah Winfrey is a successful leader who strives to see change in the world and help other people. She may not have been born into leadership but she has brought herself to where she is today through determination, good will, and her strengths. Winfrey is a world icon and is one of the most successful women today who has given many people inspiration and has moved many women over time. She is an individualistic and makes a good leader, directing new projects, and motivating others to act on them. Why is the leader successful? Oprah Winfrey’s success as a leader embodies both transformational and charismatic leadership to accomplish the tasks that she envisions. Her charismatic leaders helped her to lead the National Child Protection Act in 1991where she testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to establish a national database of convicted child abusers. In 1993 this bill became the Oprah Bill Law by Bill Clinton in name of the Oprah Bill law (Lussier and Achua, p. 332). In 1986 her transformational leadership helped form her own production company...
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...Oprah Winfrey: An Inspiring Leader Of Today Rhonda Whiteman Central Methodist University Abstract A black female born in the Deep South to poor unwed parents, during the mid 1950’s, Oprah Gail Winfrey had very little chance of becoming one of importance, much less becoming the first black female billionaire in the world. This paper will explain Oprah’s difficult childhood and continue on into her adult life explaining how she succeeds not by chance, but through perseverance, generosity, and inner strength, she wears her heart on her sleeve and has the ability to listen to her public in a way that no other has achieved. She inspires hope and inspiration to millions by sharing her imperfections of just being Oprah, overcoming diversity, proving to her faithful audience that anyone’s dream of success can truly become a reality. Biography Life for Oprah Gail Winfrey started out January 29, 1954 in a small poor town deep in the south of Kosciusko, Mississippi. An unwed mother named Vernita, informed Oprah’s father about the conception after she was born. Vernita realized that she could not make a living for her and her young daughter, so the decision was made to leave Oprah with her paternal grandmother, while Vernita moved to Milwaukee. Oprah was a very bright child learning to read by the age of three, and appeared in front of her first audience for her church Easter program. Oprah at a young age, moved...
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...I am creating everything in this school that I would have wanted for myself- so the girls will have the absolute best that my imagination can offer” Leadership Academy and 7 Fountains I will now speak about the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Oprah built this state-of-the-art academy to provide the girls with a place that inspired them to dream beyond what their life had previously shown them, to let them experience what the world has to offer. She also built the academy to change the way a culture feels about what women can do and to also make good her promise to Nelson Mandela in Dec 2000 that she would build his country a top notch boarding school for disadvantaged girls. However, public criticisms were levied at (1) at Oprah's extravagance and luxury in creating Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. They labelled it as a “vanity project” as the school had cost over $40 million US dollars yet it educated only about 75 girls per cohort and had non-essential amenities such as a yoga studio and beauty salon. Many suggested Oprah's money could have been used to educate more students if those luxuries were spared and labelled her noble act as “elitist”. In response to the criticisms, our group would like to point out the fact that Oprah was not wrong to have a no expense spared philosophy on African girls. After all she was fighting for a worthy cause she believes in and it was her own money. It is great that she chose a project that is meaningful to...
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...Jamont Waters Macroeconomics November 5, 2012 Oprah Winfrey Most Successful Talk Show Host to Live Oprah Winfrey is the most successful talk show host that has ever graced this earth. Oprah was born in a poor rural town of Kosciusko, Mississippi on January 25, 1954. After a troubled childhood filled with sexual abuse by a number of male relatives and friends of her mother, Vernita, Oprah moved to Nashville to live with her father, Vernon, a barber and businessman. She went to Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville. In 1976, Oprah moved to Baltimore where she hosted the TV chat show, People Are Talking. The show became a hit and Oprah stayed with it for eight years. She then hosted her own morning show A.M. Chicago after she was recruited by a Chicago TV station. At this time Donahue was competition for her, but within several months of her A.M. show, she had won her 100,000 more viewers than Donahue and had taken her show from last place to first in the ratings. Her success led to nationwide fame and a role in the film, The Color Purple, in 1985. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Oprah launched the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986 as a nationally syndicated program. Her show grossed over $125 million by the end of its first year, which Oprah received $30 million. She was on 120 channels and had an audience of 10 million people. She soon gained ownership of the program from ABC, drawing...
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...By any definition of the word, Oprah Winfrey is a leader, someone who has the influence and power to guide others. And when you look at the definition of charismatic – possessing an extraordinary ability to attract - there is no denying that Winfrey would transcend normal leadership to be categorized as a charismatic leader. Although she does lead groups of employees in her media empire, her leadership influence is primarily seen in her ability to influence viewers of The Oprah Winfrey Show and readers of ‘O’ magazine. In what is often called “The Oprah Effect”, when Oprah endorses an idea or product, everyone wants a piece of it. For example, when Oprah began her book club in 1996 whereby she selected a book for discussion on her show and encouraged her audience to read the book, she single-handedly bolstered the publishing industry and book sales (Hussain, 2007). We’re talking about the type of spike in sales that have never before been seen in history. She has been called the most influential person in the world. According to Wong (2006), you won’t see Oprah doing traditional endorsements such as getting paid to have her name associated with any certain brand of clothing or shoes, but rather Winfrey aims to share what she is passionate about with others. And if you happen to be in the business of selling something Oprah is passionate about, then you are in for a windfall. Her influence, however, goes beyond spiking retail sales. That is simply a fortunate by-product...
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...(Omilion-Hodges, 2015). In order to be a good leader you should have a variety of good qualities. As a leader you are interested in empowering others, value the importance of communication and respecting the opinions of others. Also, should be comfortable in being your own person and not try to emulate others style of leadership but simple use them as a guide to better yourself. The two leaders I chose to discuss are Oprah and rEGINA SMITH (my mother). Both of these women are very influential and have strengths and weaknesses that helped shape them into who they are now. Oprah is truly an inspiration. Her drive and motivation to never give up and encourage others is unbelievable. What a value the most in Oprah is how confident she is when speaking, she is so confident and believes that her words will make a difference in the world. Her performance when in front of an audience is intriguing and the emotional connection that she has with them is phenomenal. Oprah is able to make that connection with people because she tells stories and bring up topics that are relatable and life lessons can be learned from. When being a leader you have to have love and passion for what you do at all time. One of the reasons why I admire Oprah so much is that she is always willing to help others and she has a tremendously good heart to where she’ll do anything to hinder the hurt and pain this world tends to cast upon us. According to George (p. 58), “Authentic leaders genuinely desire to serve others through...
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...Growing up in a multi-cultural home, both mom and dad have always spoke about Oprah Gail Winfrey and her positive influence on the African-American society. As a child, I would always watch Oprah Winfrey participating in talk shows or movies. Both mom and dad would also explain to me, how Oprah Winfrey’s lifestyle and how she grew up. At age eleven, I learnt that Oprah Winfrey was not only a celebrity, but she was also a philanthropist. Being a philanthropist has always been my passion. I have always thought about making a change in my community and the world by giving back. As a child, I always enjoyed volunteering at a famous soup-kitchen in my community and it became a passion for me, and that was how I knew that Oprah Winfrey would always be a positive on me....
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