Trump, Turner, Winfrey
Donald Trump
Donald Trump needs little introduction. He is a celebrity well known for his real estate deals; TV reality show, “The Apprentice”; and megalomaniac utterings on just about everything. As the head of The Trump Organization, LLC, Donald Trump has investments in hundreds of subsidiaries in dozens of industries around the world.
Ted Turner
Ted Turner is well known as the former CEO of the Turner Broadcasting Network and the creator of the Cable News Network (CNN), the first ever twenty-four-hour global news network. The Turner Company currently has over one hundred of the world’s best known brands in over two hundred countries . All of this sprang from a vision of the future by Ted Turner.
Turner’s primary leadership style, based on Goleman’s (2000) leadership guidelines, is the pacesetting style. He always set high standards, with winning as the prime motivator, and drove himself hard to accomplish his goals. This hard driving style set the example for his employees and kept them highly motivated. Ted was quoted as saying, “The way to lead is with infectious enthusiasm, get everyone enthusiastic about what we’re doing” . This exemplifies the pacesetting style. Turner also used the affiliative style in his dealings with employees. The “People come first” attitude is apparent in how well he took care of his employees. He was not afraid to back his staff and reward them for performance.
It was through Ted Turner’s excellent vision and leadership that the network that bears his name is one of the best know and well respected organizations in the world.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey exemplifies the qualities of a great leader. Coming from an impoverished background that included abuse, she molded herself into a leader and became an American icon with her own media network. Over the years she has interviewed some of the world’s greatest leaders and celebrities and made herself a household name.
Oprah’s outlook on life, and her approach to everything she does, embodies her leadership styles. One of Oprah’s greatest traits is her credibility, which is the capability to elicit belief, trust and confidence in others . This quality alone helps make her the leader that she is. Oprah actually displays several of the leadership styles suggested by Goleman (2000). Her confidence in herself and her high standards relate to the authoritative style and the pacesetting style. Her enthusiasm in what she does encourages and motivates her employees. She also employs a “Come with me” approach that encourages other to work harder to accomplish their goals. Her empathetic viewpoint also points to an affiliative style where she makes sure that “People come first”. As she says often in an interview at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, she knows she has the power when she is in a room, so she is able to ensure that others are taken care of . I believe that Oprah also utilizes the coaching style of leadership. Her experiences lead one to believe that she has the ability to coach others to help them reach their goals.
Overall, Oprah is a business powerhouse that can accomplish just about anything she puts her mind to. She has a natural ability to relate to those she meets which encourages others to follow her.
References
Allen, T. (2014, August 13). Oprah Winfrey: Authentic and Transformational Leadership Personified. Retrieved from LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140813145049-27554839-oprah-winfrey-authentic-and-transformational-leadership-personified
Business, S. G. (Director). (2014). Oprah Winfrey on Career, Life and Leadership [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DlrqeWrczs
Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that Gets Results. Harvard Business Review.
Kahan, S. (2009, November 17). Ted Turner on Visionary Leadership: How to see over the Horizon. Retrieved from Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/1457913/ted-turner-visionary-leadership-how-see-over-horizon
Mycomeup.com (Director). (2010). Donald Trump's Words of Wisdom [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nif5DTHRnZo
Turner Company. (2016). Turner. Retrieved from Turner.com: http://www.turner.com/company
