Oprah the issue and offering compromise in a

Oprah the issue and offering compromise in a

Oprah Winfrey is an embodiment of a visionary leader.

Visionary leaders see the future in their own unique and mysterious way. They see a horizon filled with opportunities, solutions and game changing concepts. They think outside the box and address the systemic root causes of problems to create real breakthroughs.

They are social innovators and change agents. Their insight, imagination and boldness sets an agenda for higher purpose that motivates people and brings them together around a shared sense of purpose.They do not believe that is only one answer to a question or a polarized issue. They solve problems seeing some truth on both sides of the issue and offering compromise in a win,win solution. A visionary requires a “balanced expression of spiritual, mental, emotional and physical dimension. ”2003 Corinne Mclaughin. They build these values from both negative and positive experiences in their lives.

They are masterful learners that never stop learning. They are not corrupted by power but rather are elevated by it and give back to the people they serve.A visionary I believe follows the conceptual framework of a systems thinker. As per Peter M. Senge “ Systems thinking also needs the disciplines of building shared vision, mental models, team learning and personal mastery. ” Oprah Winfrey built a shared vision that inspired millions. Her contributions can be felt beyond the world of television where she was the producer and host of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” since September 1986.

She showed mental models can be changed. She brought out all her internal demons and presented it to the world in her television show.In so doing she exposed her own thinking effectively and exposed it to her 21 million viewers. She masterfully, managed advocacy and Inquiry. She proved her personal mastery by continuously learning.

ON CNN Larry King Weekend September 9, 2001 Oprah said “what I’m trying to do with the Oprah Winfrey show is the same thing I’m trying to do with my life, is to get people to see where they are stuck in their lives and be able to live up to what ever is their human potential. I am trying to do that for myself.That is why I am never satisfied where I am in my life. I am always trying to push the envelope. What is the next level? What is the next level? How do I grow myself to be a better person? ” Among Oprah’s accomplishments that are indicative of the high quality of her work are the following. For more than 20 years The Oprah Winfrey Show has been the number one US daytime talk show with 21 million US viewers, airing in 105 countries.

Oprah has received seven Emmy awards for the outstanding Talk Show Host and nine Emmy awards for outstanding Talk Show.Oprah has been honored with the most prestigious awards in broadcasting including the George Foster Peabody individual achievement award 1996, the IRTS Gold Medal Award (1996) and the National Academy of Television Arts and sciences lifetime achievement award 1998. in January 2001 Oprah was the Newsweek’s women of the Century. in June 1998, she was named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th Century by TIME Magazine. Oprah made her acting debut in 1985 in Steven Spielberg’s “the color purple” for which she received old and Academy award nominations and Golden Globe nomination for her role as Sophia.Her movie production division has turned out award-winning films like “Tuesdays with Morrie,” “before woman had wings,” “the woman of Brewster Place,” “beloved,” and “Amy and Isabelle”. In April 2000 Oprah along with Hearst Magazines, introduced a monthly magazine O The Oprah Magazine, the most successful startup ever in the industry.

In September 1997 Oprah launched Oprah’s’ Angel Network, a campaign encouraging people to help those in need. Since it’s inception Oprah Angel network has collected 3. million to create college scholarships for students in need and has funded nearly 200 Habitat for Humanity home.

In April 2000 Oprah’s Angel network began the “Use Your Life award” and now gives $100,000 every Monday on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to people who are using their lives to improve the lives of others. In her commitment to continuous learning in September 1999 Oprah joins Stedman Grahams as an adjunct professor at The J. L. Kellog graduate school of management at Northwestern University TO co- teach “Dynamics of Leadership. The course curriculum developed by professor Winfrey and Graham, shares insights into how students can cultivate their leadership skills and develop an approach to management, leadership and organizational issues suited to their individual circumstances.

In conclusion a visionary practices the five disciplines of Peter M. Senge. This is exemplified by Oprah’s life history, her work and her continuous desire to learn and become a better person despite all her achievements.