Television Talk Show Host, Producer, Author, & Philanthropist
About The Leader
About The Leader
Oprah Winfrey’s rags-to-riches story is a testament of how bold leadership and authenticity can lead to great achievements
Oprah Winfrey was the queen of talk shows in the USA.
She's best known for being the host of her own, wildly popular program, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons, from 1986 to 2011
She is a self-made billionaire, richest African- American, and greatest Black philanthropist.
She holds a honorary doctorate from both Duke and Harvard Universities.
In 2013 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
Her Purpose
Oprah Winfrey always felt that her calling was to get inspire millions of people and to make their lives better. She always thought she would be a teacher or social worker and never imagined that she would b she will touch so many lives through television.
"I believe every one of us is born with a purpose. No matter who you are, what you do, or how far you think you have to go, you have been tapped by a force greater than yourself to step into your God-given calling. This goes far beyond what you do to earn your living. I’m talking about a supreme moment of destiny, the reason you are here on earth"
"For me, the journey to open The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls was one of the most challenging and ultimately rewarding things I’ve ever experienced. This was something I felt I had been growing towards my entire life. I recognized myself in the face of each and every girl yearning to overcome the trauma of poverty and all that it encompassed. These strong, talented, future leaders could see their way forward but needed an environment in which to thrive. ”
Case for Change
Case for Change
After an evening with Nelson Mandela in 2000 at his home and their discussion on poverty, Winfrey came up with the Idea of having an Education platform to help youth out of poverty.
Growth Gap
Growth Gap
Winfrey pledged $40 M for the project and recruited students herself.
Investment Portfolio
Investment Portfolio
So far, 528 girls have graduated from the academy of which 90% went on to further their education at the university level.
Her Leadership Qualities
Her Leadership Qualities
Oprah Winfrey has handled her success with grace and compassion and she has been very inspiring by associating all of her work with a call to others to devote themselves to humanitarian goals.
Be Authentic
Be Authentic
Having her own show gave Winfrey the freedom to be truly authentic. She wasn't controlled by the networks and she had control over who her sponsors were. Her work was an authentic extension of herself, which was admired by her fans throughout her onscreen career.
Key Actions
Key Actions
When Winfrey launched her own show and it become popular she was approached by advertisers to promote their products.
One such incident invovled a major diet soft drink manufacturer asking her to promote their product. Since Winfrey did not believe in that product, so she declined their generous offer.
Leadership Behaviors
Leadership Behaviors
Saying “No” to things you do not believe in is a sign of true authenticity.
You do not have to compromise your values to become successful.
Lesson Learned
Lesson Learned
Project your authentic self to connect with your audience
Over two decades, Winfrey’s influence on her fans had led to many successful ventures that created impact.
Winfrey created Reading with Oprah, also knowns as Oprah’s Book Club. She increased interest in reading with her engaging discussion of social issues often depicted in the novels, often encouraging non-readers pick up the book and read it.
Some publishers estimated that her power to sell any book was almost 100 times more than any other media personality.
Turn Failure Into Success
Turn Failure Into Success
In the late 1970s, Oprah Winfrey went through a succession of minor media jobs from being a radio station anchor to anchoring local television news. However, her big break came in 1983 when she was offered a morning show on national television by WLS-TV called AM Chicago.
Key Actions
Key Actions
After the popularity of Chicago morning show, Oprah met ABC network who owned WLS to move the show beyond Chicago.
However, station executives turned down the proposal thinking that it has no future beyond Chicago.
Winfrey moved beyond this failure and turned this into the biggest success of her life by leaving WLS and starting her own show.
Leadership Behaviors
Leadership Behaviors
Move beyond failures and turn them into opportunities by carving your own path.
Lesson Learned
Lesson Learned
Everyone stumbles and has setbacks; it is just life’s way of saying “time to change course.”
Winfrey partnered with film critic Robert Ebert to launch her own show called “The Oprah Winfrey Show” with her own production studio, Harpo Productions.
The show went on to became a big success and ran for 25 years with more than 20 million viewerers a day at its peak.
Serve a Greater Purpose
Serve a Greater Purpose
Winfrey started Oprah Winfrey Leadership academy for Girls with the sole purpose to uplift youth, especially girls, from poverty by providing them with high-quality education. Today, it has more than 300 students and a 52- acre campus with state- of-the-art facilities.
Key Actions
Key Actions
After an evening with Nelson Mandela in 2000 at his home and their discussion on poverty, Winfrey came up with the idea of having an education platform to help youth out of poverty.
Winfrey Pledged $40 M for the project and recruited students herself.
Leadership Behaviors
Leadership Behaviors
Although money is always needed for worthy causes, Winfrey could make more of an impact by directing her time, platform, and endorsements towards charitable ends.
Lesson Learned
Lesson Learned
Education is the best way to get out of poverty
So far, 528 girls have graduated from her academy of which 90% of the girls attended university education.
In South Africa, where only 20% of students attend college, this was a big achievement.
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