OPRAH WINFREY

(THE OWNER OF POPULAR PROGRAM “THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW”)

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 1: FAMOUS CONTEMPORARY LEADER

COURSE NAME : PRINCIPLE AND PRACTICE OF MANAGEMENT

COURSE CODE : MGT420

STUDENTS’ NAMES : RAJA NURUL ATHEERAH BINTI RAJA ALIAS

STUDENT’S NUMBER : 2021600424

GROUP : RBA2431A

LECTURER’S NAME : PN RABITAH BINTI HARUN

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

Abstract..................................................................................................................................3

1.0 Introduction of Leadership...............................................................................................4

2.0 Biography.........................................................................................................................5

3.0 Leadership Traits and Skills.............................................................................................6

3.1 Motivational.........................................................................................................6

3.2 Self-Confidence...................................................................................................6

3.3 Intelligence...........................................................................................................6

4.0 Leadership Behaviour......................................................................................................7

4.1 Relations Orientation...........................................................................................7

5.0 Leadership Power.............................................................................................................8

5.1 Legitimate Power.................................................................................................8

5.2 Expert Power........................................................................................................8

6.0 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................9

References..............................................................................................................................10

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ABSTRACT

The assignment below is about how the leader play their role as a leader and manages

their company. The leader I chose was Oprah Winfrey. Harpo Productions' Chairman and

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as well as the Oprah Winfrey Network's Chairman, CEO, and

Chief Operating Officer. Without the need for a question, of all the successful leaders, Oprah

Winfrey is one of the best. There are several journeys on how she conducts the company and

production with her leadership traits and skills, leadership behaviour and how she applies her

leadership power in her company.

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1.0 INTRODUCTION OF LEADERSHIP

Leadership encapsulates the ability and willingness to motivate others. Original and

borrowed ideas that are effectively communicated to others in such a way that others are

persuaded to perform in the manner that the leader intended are the foundation of good

leadership. A leader motivates people to act while simultaneously directing them. They must

be pleasant enough for others to obey their directions, and they must be able to think

critically enough to know how to use an organization's resources successfully [ CITATION

Sus20 \l 17417 ].

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2.0 BIOGRAPHY

Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host, media executive, actress, and

philanthropist who is worth a billion dollars. She is best known for hosting The Oprah

Winfrey Show, a hugely popular talk show that ran for 25 seasons between 1986 and 2011.In

2011, Winfrey launched the Oprah Winfrey Network, her own television network. (OWN).

Winfrey moved to Baltimore in 1976 to lead the talk show People Are Talking after growing

up in the rural Mississippi town of Kosciusko. A Chicago television station then approached

her about hosting its own morning show [ CITATION Bio14 \l 17417 ].

Winfrey was born in the rural Mississippi town of Kosciusko on January 29, 1954.

After a traumatic upbringing in which she was violently assaulted by several male relatives

and associates of her mother, Winfrey moved to Nashville with her father, Vernon, a barber

and businessman. In 1971, Winfrey enrolled at Tennessee State University. She began her

career in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville.

Winfrey relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1976 to host the talk show People Are

Talking. Winfrey stayed on for another eight years after the show became a sensation before

being hired by a Chicago television station to headline her own morning show, A.M. Chicago.

Phil Donahue was her main rival in the time slot. Winfrey's open, warm-hearted personal

style had drawn 100,000 more viewers than Donahue's show in just a few months, propelling

it from last to first in the ratings.

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3.0 LEADERSHIP TRAITS AND SKILLS

3.1 Motivational

Oprah Winfrey is always improving herself professionally and personally,

which motivates others. Her nature encourages others to follow her advice. She has

always strived to be the best version of herself, and she is the epitome of leading by

example. She is a person who, through her inspirational nature, could transform the

future of others [ CITATION Sad21 \l 17417 ].

3.2 Self-Confidence

Oprah is always poised, self-assured, and confident in her interviews and

public appearances. She is a self-assured woman who believes in herself and her

ambitions, and as a result, others do, too. She is aware of her own principles and

operates with the best of intentions to bring her vision to fruition. She draws

individuals who sincerely believe in who she is and what she does because of her

confidence and vulnerability, establishing a culture of loyalty and community

[ CITATION Beh21 \l 17417 ].

3.3 Intelligence

Oprah Winfrey also one of leader that has an intelligence. This prove when it

comes to interacting with people, Oprah has a fantastic ability to use her emotional

intelligence. This is one of her most important qualities in maintaining long-term

relationships. With the help of this quality, she improves self-consciousness and social

awareness. We can see that, one of the key traits of a successful leader is to be

intelligence [ CITATION Sad21 \l 17417 ].

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4.0 LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOUR

4.1 Relations Orientation

Oprah Winfrey exemplifies leadership behaviours such as relationship-

oriented leaders as a leader. Leaders that prioritise creating positive relationships with

their subordinates and being liked by them are known as relationship oriented. Oprah

Winfrey, for instance, is a kind and sympathetic individual who does not take

humanitarian crises lightly. Her sympathy and excitement for humanitarian efforts and

foundations show her social conscience. Her skill to lead enables her to entice and

sustain her subordinates and various groups' trust and belief. With her humble

mindset, she demonstrates that she cares about people outside of her circle

[CITATION Sad21 \l 17417 ].

Oprah has the confidence, charisma, and ease of a high-scoring exhibition

player. She has loved and thrived in the spotlight on talk radio shows and television

since the beginning of her career. She thrives on other people's attention and affection,

and she is inherently engaging and stimulating.

Oprah is compassionate and understanding of others' physical and emotional

needs and desires. People often confide in her because she is intelligent, peace-loving,

and warm. She is a positive person who finds the good in others and places a high

value on connections. Oprah has a history of emphasising the importance of others'

happiness and well-being, prioritising the creation of programmes and incentives that

honour and develop her employees and audience [ CITATION Beh21 \l 17417 ].

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5.0 LEADERSHIP POWER

5.1 Legitimate Power

Oprah demonstrates that she possesses position power, which is defined as the

amount of legitimate, reward, and coercive influence a leader possesses because of his

or her position in an organisation. In business field, a company would fail if the

clients do not give the best because the profit came from them. That is why, to give

excellent customer service is the top priority. From this, with all the effort from her

subordinates make Oprah recognizes and shows her appreciation by giving them

generous reward. Oprah is known for lavishing praise and vacations on her

employees. She even delivers hand-picked gifts to top employees and tells them that

it's easy to visualise the efforts her team puts in to assure her success, which works in

her favour [ CITATION Jos15 \l 17417 ].

5.2 Expert power

What began as a television brand expanded to include radio, publications,

films, spin-off TV shows, and eventually a whole network. She was able to

accomplish all of this by methodically expanding her brand. Oprah Winfrey is not

only a celebrity, but also a billionaire because of her method.

Transformative leaders, on the other hand, have one key leadership

characteristic: they are laser-focused on the one thing they do very well. She looks to

be everywhere except for charity work, yet she is focused on one industry, the media.

She glows in front of the camera, which is why she concentrated on it and worked

hard to gain control of it.

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6.0 CONCLUSION

Finally, Oprah Winfrey is without a doubt an inspiration to today's leaders. Her entire

life has been inspiring, and she has demonstrated that no hurdles can prevent someone who is

motivated to succeed. Regardless of your goals, destinations, or techniques, she has shown us

that the most essential thing is how you deal with your leadership talents, skills, and

attributes. She has served as an inspiration to women all around the world. If you're looking

for someone to admire, Oprah Winfrey is a great choice.

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 References

Behavioral Essentials Team. (2021, May 21). Behavioral Essentials. Retrieved from

https://www.behavioralessentials.com/what-are-oprah-winfreys-behavioral-traits/

Biography.com. (2014, April 2). Retrieved from The Biography.com:

https://www.biography.com/media-figure/oprah-winfrey

Chris, J. (2015, August 8). Joseph Chris. Retrieved from 8 Oprah Winfrey Leadership Style

Secrets: http://www.josephchris.com/8-oprah-winfrey-leadership-style-secrets

Sattar, S. B. (2021). The Strategy Watch. Retrieved from Leadership Qualities – Styles, Traits

and Skills of Oprah Winfrey: https://www.thestrategywatch.com/leadership-oprah-

winfrey/

Ward, S. (2020, September 17). The balance small business. Retrieved from What Is

Leadership?: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/leadership-definition-2948275

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