Oprah Winfrey’s Commencement Speech at 

Stanford University 
 

1. What are the three main points that Oprah shares in her speech? 
The three main points/lessons Oprah shared in her speech were: (1) when you're doing the 
work you're meant to do, it feels right; (2) look at things from the inside out, not the outside in; (3) 
to be happy, you ​have to​ give something back.  
 
2. What values emerge from the lessons she shares and the stories she highlights in the speech that 
give you a sense of her personal integrity and/or leadership stature? 
Throughout the speech, Oprah shares with us the lessons she learned, one being that 
whenever she trusted her gut, she made the right decisions and the right choices and in the process, 
it felt right. It’s important for us to know what feels right and what feels wrong because that is our 
gut telling us what is right and wrong for us. She learned that if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. She 
says that if we don’t know what to do, we should stand still until we do and until we can hear that 
inner voice, telling us what’s right and what’s wrong. When she faces failure, she asks herself, “What 
is this to teach me” and if you don’t get the answer, it will come back in a different way; however, if 
you do get it, change course. She says, when your hurting, help ease the hurt of others. It shows how 
humble she is and how dedicated she is to help other people. She doesn’t let any roadblock get in 
her way. In one of her stories, she talked about her school for girls in Africa and how it was affected 
by sexual abuse. When she found out, she only gave herself a half and hour to cry and then she 
acted on it. That shows true leadership. 
 
3. What elements or techniques does she employ to secure the attention of her audience and how 
effective are these? 
Throughout her speech, Oprah shifted her tone to emphasize (get loud) during the 
important points she is trying to make, and quiet at other points. Also, she began her speech with a 
joke, getting everyone’s walls down and opening everyone up. This also allowed her to grab more of 
her audience’s attention because she made them laugh and engaged. Oprah also got very personable 
and vulnerable, sharing personal stories and sharing about her struggles. All of these things opened 
her up to her audience, and make them more engaged in what she was saying.