...Oprah Winfrey He born name Oprah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954. Oprah is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become 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, and was for a time the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world. Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother and later raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. She experienced considerable hardship during her childhood, claiming to be raped at age nine and becoming pregnant at 14; her son died in infancy. Sent to live with the man she calls her father, a barber in Tennessee, Winfrey landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19. Her emotional ad-lib delivery eventually got her transferred to the daytime-talk-show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated. Credited with creating a more intimate confessional form of media communication,she is thought to have popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre...
Words: 340 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 1314 - Pages: 6
...Oprah The famous person I chose to write about is Oprah Winfrey. Oprah spent her first six years living in poverty with her maternal grandmother. Her grandmother encouraged Oprah’s love of books by teaching her how to read at the age of three years old. Oprah was very intelligent, when she entered kindergarten at the age of five years old, she was able to read and write (Fry, 2013). At age six Oprah moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her mother. It was there Oprah faced turmoil in her life: she was not mothered well, lived in poverty, and experienced sexual abuse. When Oprah moved in with her father at age 14, he was strict and encouraging that she study hard and make getting an education a priority. After being on television since 1973, moving from Tennessee to Baltimore, Maryland, to Chicago, Illinois: On September 8,1986 The Oprah Winfrey Show aired and continued to be the top talk show for 24 years. In 2008, Oprah and Discovery Communications planned to create OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. OWN was planned to be a multiplatform media venture designed to entertain, inform, and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN debuted January 1, 2011. What motivated Oprah to become such a success? There are three motivation views created to explain what motivates individuals: the psychoanalytic, humanistic, and the diversity theory. The first theory of motivation is The Psychoanalytic theory constructed...
Words: 764 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 637 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 1083 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 1663 - Pages: 7
...Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential African American women in U.S. history. When she was young, Winfrey was separated from her parent and had to live in a poor surrounding with her grandparent. Having to live with many hardships, Oprah Winfrey was able to turn her life over and achieve many outstanding achievements. According to Adler’s theory in birth order, “only child will tend not to lose primacy and power, besides, he or she will mature at an early stage of life and may have certain issues where they are not in centre of attention.” Based on Adler’s theory in birth order, I believe that Oprah Winfrey did not lose faith after all the hardships she had been through. Consequently, this had brought great results in her future life. At a young age, many difficulties were brought upon Oprah Winfrey. At the age of six, Winfrey had to live in a poor surrounding with her grandmother: “her parents were separated from each other and she had been put to a very poor environment with her grandparents when she was six.” But when her grandmother had gotten ill, she had to move to Wisconsin to live with her mother. Thereafter, Winfrey had endured many hardships in which include having to be sexually abused by her male relatives. After Oprah Winfrey finished third grade, she moved out to live with her father and stepmother in Nashville Tennessee. Due to the fact that her father and stepmother were unable to have a child also being that Oprah was the only child, they treated her...
Words: 556 - Pages: 3
...I have no doubt that Oprah has the qualities and traits of a High Performance Leader. She is excellent at building cohesive teams and she definitely gets results through others. Her leadership consists of carefully selecting individuals that will be successful on her team. She makes sure to select highly qualified individuals in areas that they need to be in and in areas that she is most weak in. She seeks trusted mentors and uses them for her benefit and her organization’s benefit. With the success of her team, she makes sure to reward them as much as she can. She always makes sure she is valuing her customers and listening to them to show these individuals she truly cares about their wants and needs. Oprah is 100 percent committed to her vision and values which sparks excitement in her followers. She makes sure to communicate this vision clearly and has the most innate ability to motivate them. Oprah doesn’t take the short and easy route, she dreams big and is constantly looking towards the future. She understands herself and stays committed to her beliefs and abilities. This woman is resilient and constantly embracing change and creating ambition, drive, and focus in her employees. One key reason for her ability as a high performance leader is learning from her mistakes and creating new strategies to solve problems. Three development goals for Oprah include owning her own network, maintaining good reviews, and improve staff morale. Her action plan towards owning...
Words: 404 - Pages: 2
...Oprah: A Modern Day Hero Raul Garcia COM150 Effective Essay Writing Lori Pommerenke University of Phoenix In today’s day and age, the word hero can have many definitions and interpretations. It is common to infer that a hero is a mythological creature or a fictional character with supernatural abilities and powers; but the word hero conceals a deeper meaning for today’s philanthropists and humanitarians. A perfect example of today’s hero would be Oprah Winfrey; a warrior that struggled against a horrific life but still managed to climb the tiers of success until reaching the highest pinnacle possible. “Hero” to many might sound like a word only used in sci-fi movies, but a real-life hero promotes peace, encourages education and success, and gives back to the world. After struggling against adversity in childhood, Oprah Winfrey now demonstrates a philanthropic lifestyle that sparks attention and admiration around the world. Oprah Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi on January 29, 1954. She was born into poverty to a mother who worked as a housekeeper and a father who was never at home. Even though she...
Words: 1028 - Pages: 5
...Oprah Winfrey is quoted as saying, "Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity". This statement reflects the notion that without preparation, many cherished opportunities would be lost. As an inspiration to many people, Oprah is trying to convey the thought that you are unable to be success without doing the heavy lifting required. The concept of heavy lifting can be interpreted in many ways. Hours spent studying, days spent pounding the pavement, weeks spent researching an idea, or years spent honing a craft. All of these tasks are an attempt to prepare for something. That something could be called opportunity. Many in society today look upon the successful as lucky. There is a feeling that opportunity comes to those who know someone. If you speak with successful people, there are the fortunately ones who achieve due to family influences or just the notion of being at the right place at the right time. However, most people spent years preparing for the moment of opportunity. When the moment hit, it is seized upon, and that is sometimes considered luck by other. In reviewing the notion of this question, one must ask if you want to take the literal meaning, or figurative meaning of the statement. If taken literally, one must think that luck is needed for opportunity. Figuratively, the statement reflects that anyone can make their own luck. Being prepared, doing the work that others are unwilling or unable to do, will be the reward itself. Opportunity comes...
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
...Oprah as a Leader 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...
Words: 355 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 2555 - Pages: 11
...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...
Words: 2501 - Pages: 11
...The life of Oprah Winfrey is the quintessential American success story. I agree with her when she says, "Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity." In fact, I have a similar understanding about luck from my own career, though mine is on a much smaller scale. When success comes, it comes in different ways. Some people are successful based on nothing but hard work, though this is unusual. If your definition of success today is to move a large pile of rocks from one place to another, and all you have are your two hands, then you do not require much luck. Though it may rain or hail, you can just continue plugging along, moving rocks until you are finished with the task. More often, though, success results from of a combination of factors. A farmer may work hard tending his fields, but he must have the right combination of sunshine and rain in order to grow a crop. A football team may do everything right in an effort to win a game, but most times the team on the losing side makes one or two mistakes as well. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell challenges the notion of individual merit alone being enough to achieve great success. In one example, he produces evidence that great hockey players are often great not only because of their hard work, but often also because they were born earlier in the year, and youth hockey leagues base their age cutoffs on the calendar year. This gives kids who were born earlier in the year an advantage. They are bigger...
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
...and Asia It is unbelievable the amount of influence that Oprah Winfrey has had over the lives of millions of people all over the world. She has become a demi-god in America. There are people who are ready to worship the ground over which she walks. She has lived the Great American dream, a veritable tale of rags to riches with the right amount of glamor added to it. Born in 1954 to unmarried parents, Oprah was raised by her grandmother on a farm with no indoor plumbing in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Oprah's childhood turned into a nightmare because of sexual abuse that she suffered. After suffering abuse and molestation, she ran away and was sent to a juvenile detention home at the age of 13. In 1968, at the age of 14 she gave birth to a premature baby who died soon after birth. An incident of this nature can devastate the entire life of a person. But Oprah Winfrey came out of it a stronger and fiercely determined individual. Her story is one of unrelenting focus and determination. Oprah's tryst with the world of entertainment began when at the age of three she began speaking in church. By the time she was a teenager Oprah was touring the churches of Nashville, reciting the sermons of James Weldon Johnson. Crowned Miss Fire Prevention in Nashville at 17, Winfrey visited a local radio station, where she was invited to read copy. She was so good that she was hired to read news on the air. While still in school, Oprah became the first African-American and the first woman to anchor...
Words: 3488 - Pages: 14
