Leadership and Management

Leadership and Management

According to Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy (2000), leadership researchers have defined leadership in different ways and is defined as the process of influencing an organized group toward accomplishing its goals or the process by which an agent induces a subordinate to behave in a desired manner (Chapter 1). There have been many superior leaders in the past that fit the definitions above but there are others that do not seem to fit the standard definitions of leadership. Some leaders just have the capability to change people and organizations. One such person is Oprah Winfrey. Oprah is a great example of a transformational leader.

As a child growing up in Mississippi, poor, African American, and overweight was not enough to stop Oprah from pursuing the dreams she had for herself. In 1986, Harpo Productions, Oprah’s production company was formed. The production company was formed with the intention of bringing quality entertainment projects into production. In 1988, Oprah made television history by becoming the first woman to own and produce her own talk show. This show was very successful allowing her to achieve great financial success. Several years later, The Oprah Magazine was successfully introduced to the world. In 2003 Oprah Winfrey became the first African American woman to reach billionaire status as seen in the Forbes magazine list of American billionaires.

Oprah is trusted by a large amount of people and is considered a manager and a leader. As a manager, she maintains and controls the organization. As the leader, she innovates and inspires others to become the best they can be. As a transformational leader, she presents a realistic image of the future that can be shared by others. Oprah’s subordinates are stimulated in an intellectual way, and she is very charismatic in the eyes of her fans. Members of her company believe she has built an atmosphere of openness in the organization. As the leader of her organization, she deals with difficult issues in a candid manner. It is said she listens well