Oprah Winfrey
For many people, Oprah Winfrey is a role model. She is an individual to be emulated for the accomplishments she has made in life and the fact that she has inspired people, primarily through her talk show that ran for a quarter for a century. While these are the most apparent aspects of the lady, experts agree that she is a leader to emulate (Okun, 62). Many assert that she is the ultimate business leader, having been able to rise to ranks that many would wish to reach. As a remarkable businesswoman, Oprah portrays several leadership qualities.
Perhaps the most apparent quality she possesses is being inspirational. She is an epitome of leading by example by showing her followers how to be the best person she can be. Her nature of improving personally and professionally inspires the people to follow her as a leader. She is also empathetic and caring. These traits imply that she takes justice seriously and her fight for the common good is also apparent. The fact that she empathizes with people around her makes her quite relatable and approachable. Importantly, Oprah Winfrey is emotionally intelligent, which boosts her self-awareness and helps to improve skills such as social awareness and communication skills. These are essential traits in handling conflicts.
With these qualities, Oprah’s leadership style is transformational. She provides a sense of mission and vision and inspires her followers through the communication of high expectations and vision. This also simulates their use of intelligence in problem-solving. This type of leadership is primarily focused on values, emotions, standards, ethics, and long-term goals (Mittal and Dhar, 11). She is also a charismatic leader. According to Sy, Horton, and Riggio (4), charismatic leaders are good role models for the values and beliefs they expect their followers to adopt. They also have a passionate desire to influence others.