Oprah Gail Winfrey is an executive in American media, actress, host of talk shows, producer of television, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which since 1986 has been the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and aired for 25 years on nationwide broadcast television. Nicknamed the 'Queen of All Media' she was the 20th century's wealthiest African American and North America's first multi-billionaire woman and listed as America's greatest black philanthropist. She was also ranked as one of the world's most influential women. She's faced a lot of childhood trauma.
While still in high school, Winfrey landed a job on the radio. At 19, she was a regional evening news co-anchor. The often dramatic, extemporaneous delivery of Winfrey eventually led to her transition to the daytime talk show arena, and after promoting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she founded her own production company and became globally broadcasted. She started attending Lincoln High School in Milwaukee but was moved to the wealthy suburban Nicolet High School following early success in the Upward Bound program. She was then sent to stay with her father. He was stern but supportive and prioritized her education. Winfrey became an honorary alum, was voted Most Famous Woman, and joined the East Nashville High School speech team placing second in the nation in dramatic interpretation. She won an oratory competition at Tennessee State University, a historically black college, where she studied communication and secured a full scholarship. Her first job as a student was working at a local grocery store. At the age of 17, Winfrey won the beauty pageant for Miss Black Tennessee. She also caught the attention of the local black radio station, WVOL, which employed her to do the part-time news. She worked there during her high school year and again during her first two years of college. Winfrey's media career choice wouldn't have shocked her grandmother who once said she was on stage since Winfrey was able to speak.
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Oprah faced her first failure right as she debuted. She was hyped so much about her debut show, but it wasn’t a hit. During that failure, she was the one being blamed rather than her male co-host. Oprah Winfrey endorsed Mehmet Oz, better known on her show as Dr. Oz, where he became popular for providing medical advice in the mid-2000s. Winfrey kicked him from her media network two years ago after a group of doctors accused him of 'quack procedures.' She has also been accused of boosting the anti-vaccine crusade of Jenny McCarthy. Winfrey has plugged a mystical self-help system called 'The Secret' repeatedly, claiming that thinking good thoughts (and buying DVDs) can cure emotional, financial, and physical problems. This had put a breast cancer patient’s life at risk. She introduced writer James Frey to her series in the fall of 2005, who had written an emotional autobiography about overcoming drug addiction and alcohol. The section was filled with 'A Million Little Pieces' excerpts from Frey's novel. Winfrey recommended 'A Million Little Pieces' to her book club with excitement. Over the next two months, the New York Times reported, it sold over 2 million copies. Reporters then dug into the stories of Frey and persuaded him to confess that he had made up many of them. Even after admitting to exaggerating several stories, Winfrey stood by the writer. Oprah Winfrey named the $40-million sprawling complex her gift to struggling South African girls with a yoga studio and beauty salon when it opened in 2007. Initially, she had to defend the lavish complex against allegations that she appeared elitist in a poverty-stricken country. Several months later, a dorm matron was arrested and accused of sexually abusing at least half a dozen seventh and eighth graders.
IN 2017, Oprah also released her cookbook, 'Food, Health, and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life.' She invested in True Food Kitchen, a balanced restaurant chain located in Phoenix, in 2018. Apple revealed that Winfrey signed a multi-year deal with the company in 2018 to create new original programming. They revealed the documentary's content in 2019, that Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry are partners on a multi-part documentary series concentrating on mental health. The show will air in 2020 on the Apple TV network. Apart from the documentaries, she is also said to have started her new book club for Apple TV users.
Talk show host, American media owner, actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist, Oprah Winfrey has several titles attached to her name, all with great responsibilities that she impressively embraces. She is also one of the world's most powerful and influential people, someone who profoundly impacts change and at the same time inspires others. Such qualities make her a great leader. In a Forbes article, it is said that she is known to focus on a 'philosophy of leadership that prioritizes people, vision and values.'
Her accomplishments today were possible because of her characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. She is open to new experiences and many of the roles and tasks she performs are displayed as obvious. In everything she does, she is diligent, practicing justice towards others.
She works for others outside her sphere, which is why she has set up charitable organizations that have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom here, America's highest civil award. Millions of viewers of her shows can see her strength, outgoing personality, positivity, motivation, and understanding of other people and their emotions. Oprah Winfrey is a pioneer of change who leads by empowering others. She has the charisma and confidence to affect others. Oprah's four key transformational leadership elements
- Inspirational motivation – Ability to inspire followers and express high expectations clearly to them.
- Individualized consideration – Ability to actively listen and understand that follower's concerns.
- Idealized influence – Attracts attention and respect while also empowering and affecting others.
- Intellectual stimulation – Encourages followers to be creative and innovative.
She acknowledges the fact that performance does not need to be a solo effort. Oprah Winfrey is only recruiting and helping talented people she believes in when forming a team. There are two ways wherein the benefits work–they improve her reputation and in exchange, they get wide exposure.
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