Oprah Winfrey Final Paper Oprah Winfrey’s fundamental needs, values, and orientation towards life are symbolized by the four astrological elements. And each person has their own unique balance of these four basic energies: fire (warmth, inspiration, enthusiasm), earth (practicality, realism, material interests), air (social and intellectual qualities), and water (emotional needs and feelings). Oprah Winfrey’s “elemental make-up” is described below.
Most of the people are “unbalanced” or irregular, and if Oprah is lacking in a certain element, it simply means that she needs to consciously develop that particular feature in order to appreciate and work harder in that dimension of her life. Oprah Winfrey is a positive and lively person who generally has an invigorating, inspiring, and energizing effect on others. Boredom or staying anchored in old habits is not a problem for Oprah Winfrey since she has numerous interests and the energy to pursue many of them.
However, she definitely has the tendency to overextend herself without taking the time to regroup or to move on to new things before she finishes previous tasks. Oprah can burn out by being involved in too many activities. She seems driven to be always in motion, as if she were afraid if missing out on something interesting. Paying attention to her body’s need for rest, attending to her own inner world and feelings and giving sufficient attention to her immediate family and their needs is something Oprah Winfrey needs to learn to do more of. It would benefit her to simply stop from time to time and take a breather.
She also needs to grow her capacity for receptivity – the ability to listen what another person is saying, instead of focusing on what she has to say. It would serve Oprah Winfrey well to learn to wait and trust, rather than make something happen or try to turn the world to her will. One of her primary challenges lies in developing a sense of security and stability a steady rhythm in life. Cultivating self-discipline, patience and learning to accept realistic limitations will make Oprah Winfrey to be more productive and to implement some of her ideas and creative impulses.
Oprah Winfrey is not always interested in the practicalities and compromises required to make her dreams a reality. At times, Oprah Winfrey feels out of place in the world, restless, discontent, unable to find her role with everyday life. This may have the positive effect of sparking Winfrey’s exploration of the creative, imaginative or spiritual side of life. However, Oprah now tends to resist growing up and learning how to effectively deal with adult responsibility. You must have heard people saying, “ He/she is a natural-born leader. But it is not the truth; leaders are created, not born. You must to practice and develop your skill in order to become a real truly effective leader. Oprah Winfrey had responded to a question concerning an incident of alleged sexual misconduct by one of the school matrons at her girls’ academy in South Africa. A reporter asked how the incident could possibly have occurred. Oprah responded that: “The buck always stops with me. ” She could have shifted the blame to her administration but, instead, she took full responsibility. In a time of crisis, she demonstrated the traits of a true leader.
A highly effective leader must have those five characteristics: Have excellent people skills, are committed to learning, Admit the mistakes, Inspire / empower others and Lead by Example. 1. Have excellent people skills. A true leader is in tune with the needs and temperaments of others. She is a good communicator and also a good listener. She is open to the opinions of others and is truly concerned that their voices are heard and resolutions provided. As a leader, it is important that you are able to handle situations involving sensitive matters and emotional issues. 2.
Are committed to learning. You don’t have to have a high IQ to be an effective leader. A commitment to lifetime learning is important, particularly in your area of leadership. There are also many ways you can use to enhance your overall intellectual effectiveness; such as reading to increase your vocabulary and make your brain works more. 3. Admit the mistakes. One of the most worthy attributes of a leader is the ability to admit mistakes. Since leaders, such as Oprah, are faced with so many responsibilities and challenges, it is inevitable that things will go wrong.
Admitting a mistake is not a sign of weakness but of confidence. It is a conviction that the mistake is simply a bump in the road to a higher goal. 4. Inspire and empower others. An effective leader is able to change the outlook in a dark situation. Positive thinking and motivation in the face of adversity is the single most important trait for any leader. A great leader doesn’t just pass on responsibilities. The leader is engaged in helping others yield positive results by equipping them with the necessary resources to get the job done. 5.
Lead by Example. A great leader isn’t just a figurehead that stands for, in order to lead by example, you must build trust and win the respect of the people you lead. You must not give advice to others if your own words and action are not in alignment. A truly effective leader is a role model that practices what he preaches. Oprah Winfrey, she works and practices hard to be an effective woman and leader. Now she is successful in her career in her life because she has all five characteristics that you need to have for being a highly effective leader.
She was called “arguably the World’s most powerful woman” by Time. com, “arguably the most influential woman in the World” by the American Spectator and she is the only person in the world who appeared five times on the Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. But why she is so powerful and can influence people so easily? Oprah Winfrey came from a poor abusive background and made something of her and she made her successful career from nothing. She is rich because she won the lottery. She worked very hard to get to where she is today.
She made some great business decisions along the way and is not all about making money for herself but making money for charity and helping people in need. She strongly believes in helping children get educations. She even build a lot of girl schools in south Africa and provide educations to those people who can not afford; she gives back to her fans: every year she has a show called “Oprah’s Favorite Things: she gives expensive awesome things to her audience such as new car or branded bags; she knows who she is and what she wants; she makes good on her word.
References: “Leadership Secrets of Outstanding African American Women . ” Ezin articles. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. . “Oprah Winfrey: Her Influence On People And Media. ” Oppapers. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 10 Apr. 2010. . “Oprah Winfrey – James Wilson. ” Return of the Revolutionaries. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. .
