As we all know, Oprah Winfrey has become a very successful business woman over the years. However, as of January 1, 2011, she took her success to a whole new level with her new cable network called OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. This new network has split ownership, fifty-fifty, between Oprah and Discovery. With this new commitment, Oprah only has to contribute 70 hours on air annually, but nothing out of her wallet. Discovery just wanted Oprah for her name and brand. She has become so successful at her job that she is becoming an icon.
One reason why Oprah has become such a powerful leader is due to her personality. According to the Big Five Personality Factors, Oprah mostly relates to extraversion, which is the trait most strongly related with leadership. She is extraverted because she always has a positive energy. Her whole mantra on The Oprah Winfrey Show is “live your best life.” She is also very sociable, which is clearly revealed through her successful career as a TV talk show host.
Oprah is also very influential, which is one of the major leadership components. Almost any person that comes on her show becomes a “living brand” themselves, such as Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and Nate Berkus, to name a few. The way Oprah affects her audience is amazing. People look up to her and trust her opinions.
She also became an emergent leader. She started her career by just doing her job, but through her authenticity and compassion, people began to love her. There are many talk shows on TV every day, but for Oprah rise above the rest happened from her viewers. She now has followers that enjoy watching her show every time it is aired. It is highly likely that her new cable network, OWN, will become such a success like her show did.
When you are asked to name the top ten women leaders in the world, is Oprah one that comes to mind?
-Posted by: Genise Logston
Yes, I believe that she is quite a succesfful leader. I think that she is such an influencial person to many people. As Dr. Sheep said in class, leading change is when you do something that otherwise would not have been done. I think this hits Opra right on. She does things for people all around the world and helps the lives of many. Since leadership is a process she is taking her process to the next level by creating this new network. And her common goal that I see, is to make the world a better place and to live the best life.
ReplyDeleteposeted by Devan Pritchett
Oprah definitely is a prime example of a leader of change. She is able to make her image more valuable in a multitude of ways. I believe Oprah will continue to be a true leader in the eyes of television and pop culture. Her image is so strong, whatever she puts her name and face on will be successful.
ReplyDelete- Sean Gremillion
Oprah is definitely the first woman leader that comes to mind when I think of female empowerment. As we discussed in class I believe that Oprah is so successful because of her strong social judgement skills and her ability to understand and relate to the attitudes that others have towards particular situations. She also has a strong sense of emotional intelligence and is able to use emotions to faciliate thinking.
ReplyDelete-Christine Burklin
I also believe that Oprah carries the openness factor of the Big Five Personality Factors. When Oprah talks to her audience, she is very informed. She knows all the background information on the topics and interesting facts. By being informed allows Oprah to guide her talk show on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
ReplyDeleteOprah is also very creative. She is the individual who helps think of what topics to talk about on her show. She does not do the typical talk show, for example, Maury, where is it always about informing men that "they are not the father."
She is also very insightful. She reaches out to her audiences' to touch their hearts during her shows. She also provides thoughtful and motivational views on hardships and life.
Lastly, Oprah is curious. Without her drive to find out more and more, the show would not be interesting or successful. People want to watch her shows because they want to see what happens next. Viewers watch curiously through Oprah's curiosity.
Posted by: Genise Logston
I certainly would classify Oprah Winfrey as one of the top 10 women leaders of all time. I would go as far and say that she ranks in the top 3 on that list. Oprah’s success clearly places her as a worldwide media leader and she continually gives back to people in need as a great charity donor (such as providing help to orphans in Africa). Oprah has formed a unique bond with people all around the world and she is greatly and deeply admired. Oprah is one of the most influential people in the world today. I would categorize her as powerful icon and extraordinary leader that has the following competencies: great problem-solving skills, vast social judgment skills, very knowledgeable about human issues along with super individual attributes that makes her performance stand out from the rest.
ReplyDelete-Adam Kalkirtz
Interesting!
ReplyDeleteSuccess Icons – 5 Traits You Need to Become One