Post #1 Living Your Best Life
Oprah Winfrey, TV talk-show host, producer, philanthropist, and publisher, is one of the world's most influential individuals. Her highly publicized childhood includes poverty, incest, and rape. Desire and drive helped her become the first black female news anchor in Nashville, and her humor, empathy, and personal appeal have captured the hearts of millions of daily talk show
fans.
I chose Oprah Winfrey as representative of a leader because she is seeking not only the best in life for herself but also for others. She uses her media forums (television, The Oprah Magazine) to reach out and make the world a better place through education and philanthropy. She lives her life in an exemplary fashion and uses her wealth to advance the causes of many
disadvantaged people, including children, women, and animals. Career success appears to have enhanced her generosity and the shows which have "spun off" from her talk show are
also geared towards enhancing the lives of others, i.e., Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz.
Oprah Winfrey strikes me as an individual trying to live her best life possible. Wealth and publicity have enabled her to share her successes and failures with others and I believe she has done so tastefully. I watch her show and I feel (as corny as it sounds) that there is someone out there who cares about me and wants me to be happy. She exemplifies what a person can do when they live a life of purpose....a life of service to others. Her best characteristic as a leader is that she truly cares about others. She inspires people to be better than they thought they could ever be. I find her to be a truly inspirational figure.
References
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:30, February 16, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey
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My Favorite Quote From Oprah Winfrey
"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always."
I completely agree with you about Oprah's ability to connect with people and I don't think your feelings toward her are "corny" at all! She is so inspirational because she does care and because she understands how to take important issues and bring them to the general population. Oprah is such a brilliant leader because she makes her causes known to a significant portion of the population in a non-threatening and understandable way. I am willing to admit that, as much as I value my extensive education, I am not always fully aware of important issues outside of my day-to-day experience and I think that is the case for the vast majority of Americans. Of course, many people watch CNN and MSNBC and keep themselves very well informed, but Oprah is able to use her television program and her magazine to take that important information and convey it to the entire population and that is incredibly remarkable. Thanks to Oprah, I am much more aware of issues in our society and in our world and, as we know, knowledge is power.
ReplyDeleteOprah shares many characteristics with my leader, Michael J. Fox, but the most important traits include compassion, dedication, and perseverance. As you pointed out, Oprah experienced some troubling times in her early life and Michael J. Fox is currently experiencing adversity. Both of these stellar individuals are able to take their bad experiences and channel them into something positive. Even though they both could have given up and let circumstances dictate their situation, neither one of them did. As a result, they have both become symbols of optimism and hope for countless individuals around the world. Of course, as celebrities they have been able to amplify their message and Oprah even helped Fox convey his message about stem cell research and life with Parkinson's Disease. Leaders like Oprah and Michael J. Fox teach us all to take what we are given and make it great.
For more details about Oprah's interview with Michael J. Fox and Dr. Oz, visit her website at:
http://www.oprah.com/health/Michael-J-Foxs-Life-with-Parkinsons-Stem-Cells-Optimism-and-More/1
I agree that Oprah is an influential leader in society. She is down to earth and presents herself in a non-threatening manner. I feel like I can trust her and that she really does care for my welfare and the welfare of others. She is respected by her audience and her peers. Although she is famous, she remembers where she came from and that she is lucky. She continues to share her wealth and knowledge with others and brings joy to so many people and worthwhile causes. It is admirable that she remains true and honest to herself and those around her. How refreshing.
ReplyDeleteOprah is a remarkable individual and emerged as leader by virtue of overcoming hardship in her life. I see a common theme among leaders that they standup to their beliefs and convictions. People admire courage and honestly and wish to do the same.
ReplyDeleteOprah is a leader. She is guided by a moral purpose and has an incredible ability to build relationships. People feel that Oprah is speaking to them. You aren't the only one. She has already announced that in several years she will be ending her show. She needed to start to prepare people ahead of time. That certainly shows the connection she has with her audience.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Oprah is a leader. I feel she shares the five practices and ten commitments of exemplary leadership as mentioned by Kouzes and Posner. She models, inspires, challenges, enables and encourages. As you stated, she uses her media forums as a way to reach people. She has overcome so much and is now in a postion to reach others and pay it forward.
ReplyDeleteI feel my leader, Michelle Obama is doing the same. She is using her position in the White House to reach many others, more than she could before. I feel both Oprah and Michelle did not all of a sudden gain leadership qualities when each of them were in the Media and White House, respectively: the difference is that since the Inauguration, since the Oprah show, these qualities became recognized on a grander scale. This became an advantage because now each of them have an opportunity to bring about change, not only to a small community but to a whole country and the world.