LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES

“You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey leads with strong moral integrity. Since the beginning of The Oprah Winfrey Show, she has shared her life story about weight loss, sexual molestation, promiscuity, relationships and the challenges she has faced to be successful in the media. Oprah exemplifies Michael Fullan’s definition of moral purpose. She has a “social responsibility to others and the environment” (Fullan, p. 1).  She has a strong ethical core and makes no excuses for her past. Oprah stands strong on topics such as animal rights, Aids awareness and sexual molestation. On October 4, 2005, Oprah pledged to make a stand against child molestation. She stated, "I have had enough. With every breath in my body, whatever it takes and, most importantly, with you by my side, we are going to move heaven and earth to stop an evil that's been going on for far too long” (Winfrey, 2006).  She launched the Oprah Child Predator Watch List and offered a $100,000 reward for any information. Within 48 hours two ‘wanted’ predators were captured.

Oprah has been a change agent for twenty five years. She tackles tough topics and continues to support various philanthropies. She built new homes for sixty five families who were victim to Hurricane Katrina. Oprah educates and inspires young girls at her Leadership Academy to reach beyond ordinary to extraordinary. Despite criticism, she continues to create change in her organization. Fullan says that in the change process, “successful leaders don’t mind when naysayers rock the boat” (p. 2). Early in her career, Oprah’s sister sold her teenage pregnancy story to a magazine. She was mortified when it was published and decided to write her own autobiography telling the truth from her point of view. She gave it to booksellers, but later retracted it from print. This unpublished book became very significant to Oprah because she later shared the contents of it with her viewers. Oprah recognized that “by sharing her struggles, she was helping her viewers fight their own demons” (Cooper, 2007, p. 132).

Oprah’s respect for diversity in others has catapulted her career. Oprah is famous for building relationships despite race, religion and ethnicity. Her genuine spirit has guided millions of people to transform their lives. She uses her experiences to empower others to overcome their obstacles. This coherence is enriched with the knowledge gained by experts such as Dr. Oz (medical specialist) Suze Ormen (financial organizer) Donna Brazile (political analyst) Dr. Phil (psychologist) and Dr. Martha Beck (life coach). Oprah collaborates with her team and establishes shows to guide Americans to live better lives. Oprah’s shared vision was also prevalent when they hired Christina Norman, former MTV president, as chief executive officer of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Oprah said, “I’ve always had the utmost admiration and respect for Christina’s innovative strategies and management style. She is a proven leader. Her shared values, passion and enthusiasm make her a natural fit for OWN’s emerging platforms” (Winfrey, p. 2).  Oprah surrounds herself with positive, qualified people to help her dreams become a reality. These individuals challenge Oprah to lift the “blinders” (Fullan, p. 2) and become a better leader. In Time Magazine, Condoleezza Rice states it best,  “I believe influence is the union of power and purpose.  Oprah Winfrey certainly has the power. But most important, she has purpose- an abiding commitment to the principles of goodness and generosity that transcend any one individual” (p. 2).

References:

Christina Norman Named CEO of OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. (2009, January 29). Retrieved from www.oprah.com

Cooper, I. (2007). Up Close: Oprah Winfrey. New York: Penguin Group.

Fullan, M. The Change Leader. Center for Development and Learning. Retrieved from http://www.cdl.org

O, The Oprah Magazine, (2010). Words That Matter: A Little Book of Life Lessons. New York, NY: Hearst Communications, Inc.

Rice, C. (2006, April 30). Oprah Winfrey. Time. Retrieved from http://www. time.com

The Oprah Winfrey Show (2006, January 1). Two Accused Child Molesters Caught. Retrieved from http://www.oprah.com

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

“Failure is a signpost to turn you in another direction.” – Oprah

Oprah Winfrey has several superior leadership qualities that have guided her success. She is a visionary, a tremendous communicator, an intellect, but most of all, she inspires others by being herself. When Oprah first began her talk show, she was very honest with the American people about her struggle with weight loss and her tumultuous upbringing. She gained the trust of millions who welcomed her into their living rooms each day at 4:00 pm. Her humanistic approach was refreshing during a time of tabloid trash. Oprah is strong in her beliefs, but utilizes experts and other leaders to lend advice. Some include Maya Angelou, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Nate Berkus, Dr. Beck, Dr. Berman and Gayle King. Moreover, Oprah’s passion for humankind unites America to give back. Oprah’s hard work and persistence are exemplary. She is forthright and compassionate; strong and sincere. She maximizes the strengths of her team through each medium hoping their best efforts will motivate the viewer, reader and/or listener to start saying, “yes” to their lives and live them accordingly.

Oprah Winfrey was only four years old when she dreamt of a life beyond her grandmother’s Mississippi farm. The parishioners at her grandmother’s church said Oprah had the gift of gab. When she was six years old, she moved to Milwaukee to live with her mother. She still loved talking, but her voice was silenced from ages nine to thirteen because she was sexually molested by male relatives. Oprah became pregnant at age fourteen and lost her son in infancy. Oprah was on a downward spiral. She ran away from home, even spent time in a juvenile detention center until her father, Vernon Winfrey, moved her to Nashville, Tennessee and saved her life. Her father was a strict man. Oprah said, “he had some concerns about me making the best of my life, and would not accept anything less than what he thought was my best (www.achievement.org, p. 2).” Oprah enrolled at Tennessee State University and soon after won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant, which launched her first broadcasting job. A few years later, Oprah moved to Baltimore to host a television show called “People Are Talking.” She was later recruited to host AM Chicago, which later became The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In an interview with biographer, Kitty Kelley, Oprah said, “I have never felt prevented from doing anything because I was black or a woman… I never in my life felt oppressed…It doesn’t matter how victimized any of us have been, we’re all responsible for our lives (Bayard, 2010, p. 3).” Oprah chose optimism, she chose perseverance and mostly, she chose to believe in herself despite the roadblocks in her life. During my ‘Evening with Oprah’ at the Live Your Best Life Conference, Oprah described her first job as a news anchor. The executives dissuaded her from making personal connections in her stories.  They also wanted her appearance to be acceptable for America so they sent her for a consultation with plastic surgeons and flew her to New York to ‘de-frizz’ her hair. It wasn’t until her hair completely fell out that Oprah felt liberated. This failure turned into a great success because when the executives asked her to leave the news, they gave her an opportunity to talk with people about ‘real life issues.’

References:

Academy of Achievement- Oprah Winfrey Biography (2010, August 9). Retrieved from www.achievement.org

O, The Oprah Magazine, (2010). Words That Matter: A Little Book of Life Lessons. New York, NY: Hearst Communications, Inc.

OVERVIEW OF OPRAH WINFREY

“I believe that you are here to become more of yourself and live your best life.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

As a global media leader, Oprah Winfrey has inspired viewers to live their best lives for twenty five years. During a time when the media thrived on tabloids, Oprah shifted her focus to self-help topics such as health, exercise, spirituality, meditation, and charities. Her honest, empathetic approach won over millions of viewers making The Oprah Winfrey Show one of the highest syndicated talk shows in history at a rate of 14 million viewers per day. Today, that number has grown to 49 plus viewers per day. Oprah’s influence has spread internationally being recognized as a cultural force revolutionizing the way people think about themselves and the world around them. The Academy of Achievement recognizes that on every list of the world’s leading opinion-makers, Oprah has been called, “the most powerful woman in the world "(The Academy of Achievement, 2010, p. 4).

Oprah’s list of accomplishments since the success of The Oprah Winfrey Show is expansive ranging from the media circuit to various philanthropies. She co-founded Oxygen, a women’s cable television network, which reaches over 54 million viewers. She founded her own production company, Harpo Studios (Oprah backwards), launched O, the Oprah Magazine and later O at Home. The Oprah.com website elicits three million users per month including the Oprah Book Club, deemed as the largest book club in the world. Oprah’s satellite radio show features well-known experts and in January 2011 the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) will be aired in place of the Discovery Health Network. In addition, she has received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her supporting roles in the films, The Color Purple and Beloved and she is proudly the voice of Tiana’s mother in The Princess and the Frog. Oprah is widely recognized for changing thousands of lives through the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, the Angel Network, The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Africa and the Ambassadors for Education program.

Oprah Winfrey’s vision, heart and commitment to positive change are the reasons she is one of the greatest leaders of our time. Her impact reaches far beyond the accolades noted above. Oprah’s perseverance to rise above her poor upbringing, adolescent sexual abuse and climb over the wall of racism and sexism to use her life empowering others is commendable. Her empathy and inspiration motivate me, along with millions of others, to be better each day. As a mother and educational leader, I am blessed with the opportunity to recognize personal strengths and guide others to create a passionate life contributing to our society. I ask myself, my staff and my students the same question Oprah does, “How much farther can I stretch to reach my full potential"(Winfrey, 2010, p. 17)?  After attending Oprah’s ‘Live Your Best Life’ workshop in New York City this past May, I can attest that she is still reaching and motivating others to embrace their true selves. Oprah said, “What I know for sure is that it’s only when you make the process your goal that the dream can follow" (O, The Oprah Magazine, 2010, p. 17).

References:

Academy of Achievement- Oprah Winfrey Biography (2010, August 9). Retrieved from www.achievement.org

Oprah Winfrey's Official Biography (2010, September 10). Retrieved from www.oprah.com

O, The Oprah Magazine, (2010). Words That Matter: A Little Book of Life Lessons. New York, NY: Hearst Communications, Inc.

Oprah Winfrey (2010, September 26). From Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey