I think after spending most of last week talking about authentic leadership it would be a mistake not to mention Oprah Winfrey. I have never followed Oprah that closely or watched any of her shows but to the women in my family she is an idol. Oprah has become a leader for people who have grown up through struggle or have been devastated in some way. I have seen interviews on her show where she talks to guests who have survived some sort of tragedy. It is easy to tell through her body language that she genuinely cares for these people and wants to help them. She is kind, understanding, and attentive. She has used this passion for people to start charities, improve school conditions in the troubled cities, and entertain millions with her T.V. show and network. Her impact was noticed most when she endorsed Barack Obama for U.S. President three years ago. Her backing helped Obama to start a campaign with the slogan “Yes We Can” that helped foster belief in Obama and his ideas. In my opinion, Winfrey is an authentic leader because she fits into the Four Components of Authentic Leadership. First-off, Oprah is extremely self-aware. She knows that her words carry weight and that is why she endorses President Obama, why she dedicates entire shows to raise awareness for troubled people, and why she speaks publicly about different causes she is involved in. Winfrey had one of the top, daytime television shows of all time so obviously people showed up to hear what she had to say (or maybe to get free stuff). Oprah has shared her experience about her rough upbringing and that is what shapes her into the person she is today. Her experiences have given her an internalized moral compass that guides her to do whats right and reach out to others. As I flip through old videos of Oprah's show it seems to me that she hears a lot of diverse view points. She hosts a lot of guests that challenge her way of thinking or that others may view as morally bad so these people have a chance to have their voice heard. This shows that Oprah is balanced in analyzing information and opposing viewpoints. I will post a link at the end of this article which has several Youtube clips of Oprah talking about her new show and what she learned in past shows. If you look at clips such as the one where Oprah interview “Skinheads” or clips about her new life-class. In some of these clips you can even see Oprah well-up and cry. This relational transparency allows Oprah to show her true feelings and form a relationship with viewers and guests. So my question to my group members is this; do you believe Oprah Winfrey is actually authentic? Do you believe that she actually cares about people? How can you tell? I encourage everyone to visit this website and comment on if you think it shows Oprah as an authentic leader. http://www.youtube.com/user/OWN?v=AfRLA10MivI&ppc=Google_OWN_Campaign={campaignName}_keyword=oprah#p/u/12/Q0V4G0z5JuY Also, what other attributes does Oprah have that make her an authentic leader? I realize that Oprah may not be very popular amongst college guys but when it comes to someone caring and authentic I believe Oprah is a great example and an unelected leader.
Posted by: Tyler Hubert
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I was just thinking I should post about Oprah but you beat me to it lol. I was going to take the approach of how Oprah was an unelected leader when it came to the 2008 Presidential elections but she rose to the occasion and got millions of people to support Obama. Oprah was able to get this support because she already had the support, credibility, and trust of many people who were both citizens and celebrities. I too believe Oprah has been able to capture the hearts of many people because of her transparency, relational skills, and communications skills. For these reasons, I do believe Oprah is an authentic leader. I believe Oprah shows characteristics of being both an Intrapersonal Authentic leader and a Interpersonal leader. Oprah has connected her lifes story with her profession. She knows who she is and where she has come from and she has shared this information with her followers. By opening up to her followers about her personal life she has allowed them to relate to her and have a realistic perception of her. Oprah has also developed a personal reciprocal relationship with her followers. By doing this she is able to gain insight on what her supporters wants and needs are and provide them with these desires. By following her show and other endeavors she's been apart of you can tell she has a genuine concern and respect for her followers. Oprah does a lot of shows on awareness, social responsibility, health and many other topics concerning society. She pulls in audiences by providing them with relational and newsworthy stories. Oprah passion and dedication is what I believe to be prominent factors that allow her to be an authentic or "real" leader.
ReplyDeleteQuasheena Ellis
I think it also speaks to her character that after 25 years of doing a T.V. show she missed it so much she and is coming out with another show. It just shows how much she likes to help people.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Oprah is absolutely an authentic leader. As you mentioned she is very passionate about the topics she covers and when she believes in something, like president Obama, she will promote and defend it intensely. Also, as Dan mentioned in his post and you hinted at in yours, I feel as if Oprah was sort of trusted into her current leadership position. By this I mean, as you mentioned, Oprahs had a rough upbringing which led her to set out on a mission to prove that no matter what kind of background a person comes from, anyone can be successful if you are legitimately passionate about doing so. With this being her goal it is very apparent to me that she truly does care about other people.
ReplyDeleteBy: Ty Wiesemeyer
Ty, I agree with you, sir, I really get the vibe from Ohprah that she has seen a lot in her life. She has seen tough times, people who overcome them, inspirational stories, and much more. I think viewers see her as a bit of an experrt and that goes a long way toward why they trust her.
ReplyDeleteTyler I completely agree with your last post. I believe Oprah epitomizes the idea of expert power from chapter one in our textbook. It is defined as power that is "based on followers' perceptions of the leader's competence." The topics she discusses on her show my not be her area of technical expertise but the people who watch cherish her opinion. She has been able to gain this trust from her followers, so much so, that whatever book she reads or clothes she wears shoot straight to the New York Times Best-Sellers List or get sold-out in stores. If Oprah associates with anything it turns to gold.
ReplyDeleteThis idea then supports my opinion that she has extreme referent power. Her followers adore her because she has done such a good job relating and building relationships with them.
Emily Seaholm
Tyler, I never paid much attention to Oprah either, but she truly represents everything Authentic leadership is about. She able to connect with her viewers in a way that sets her apart from everyone else on day time television. When she announced her retirement from TV, you saw the emotion that followed. People were destroyed that they won't be able to watch her anymore. This is a direct result of her understanding and compassionate personality that has become iconic in its own right.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Oprah has had to overcome many obstacles stemming from the hardships she faced as a child. The fact that Oprah overcame these hardships draws her audiences closer to her story. We all love when people overcome the odds to make it, and Oprah defines overcoming obstacles.
By Dan Becker