Essay On Oprah Winfrey Leadership

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most iconic figures of the 21st century. She transcended media into an entire new stratosphere, and is one of the main individuals that helped shape the business for future generations. Here ability to evolve with the times in nearly three decades and shape an entire empire into her image is a testament to what type of leader she truly is. “Of all the shows in the history of American television, only "60 Minutes" has been more successful in terms of doing critically praised work, making piles of money, influencing the culture and running for a long, long time. And "60 Minutes" had a major TV network behind it in CBS. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was built on the vision, talent and will of the young woman who left Baltimore for Chicago (Zurawik, 2011).” After studying Oprah’s accomplishments, affiliations, influences, and ultimately her empire, I have come to recognize key attributes of her leadership style that has contributed towards her success. Her leadership style can be defined by a set of nuances that can be articulated by a certain theory within the text. Her success as well as other individuals in her position inspired a leadership phenomenon by personifying these theory; thus this leadership style can be defined as a blended approach derived from the theory “High-High” Leader, coupled with assuming an operational role.

According to the text The Leadership Experience, “As a leader, you can succeed in a variety of situations by showing concern for both tasks and people. People-oriented behavior is related to higher follower satisfaction, and task-oriented behavior is typically associated with higher productivity (Daft & Lane, 2009).” Oprah has famously been associated by her ability to connect with...

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... leadership style can be defined as a blended approach derived from the theory “High-High” Leader, coupled with assuming an operational role because she has shown a concern for both tasks and people all while taking a hands on approach despite the task. By all accounts CEO’s that have worked with her has nothing but high praises for her. She has continued to produce a show of high quality in which she has had a direct hand in producing. Her vision of empowering young women from impoverished backgrounds was seen to fruition by here leadership. She has had impact on countless lives and has had a hand in electing the most powerful office in our country. Oprah is an Icon not only because she helped influence society, she is an Icon because she embodied key attributes of the theory of “High-High” leadership coupled with assuming an operational role to the upmost degree.