Oprah Winfrey Essay Example for Free

Oprah Winfrey Essay Oprah Winfrey, born on a farm in Mississippi to a teenage mother in 1954 came from nothing yet again is the world’s most successful lady who is a role model to many and has made it on her own. She is a success story, some one who has made history on American television by producing and hosting her own TV show, â€Å"The Oprah Winfrey Show† the show has won her countless awards and praises since its start in the year 1987. It is the top ranked show on television till this day (Oprah Winfrey Biography, 2006). She runs her own company. She has been the richest African American lady and the only Black billionaire in the world at one time and the most highly paid television host today. Success and Oprah have been together from the longest time. She has managed to win the hearts of all the Americans today with her hard work, determination, and dedication and confidence and has become the most watched television celebrity. She has been ranked the most influential lady of the 20th century from the past five years by the Time magazine (Oprah Winfrey Biography, 2006). She is considered as someone who can bring an enormous change because her popularity is beyond the pop culture and she has the capability and credibility to influence others. She has left a mark on everyone. Leadership is the ability to influence others by gaining the trust and support of the followers and Oprah has been able to do that. She is a born leader. She has all the attributes to become a successful leader and she has proved it to the world. It is her leadership qualities only that she has been able to maintain the standard of her show and live up to the expectations of her viewers. She runs a show, is an owner of a magazine, she’s into movie production, is a successful actress and all of these are her profitable businesses. She has become a brand name. She has set an example of being a superior and effective leader. She is intelligent and an educated lady, she is self confident she knows what she’s talking about. She has spoken on all kinds of issues on her show and brought the facts and figures in front of the world (Oprah Winfrey Biography, 2006). She is a stable lady, and flexible and honest and has an internal locus of control. She had the luck and believes in herself. She has the ability to understand others therefore she has created social awareness such as her effort to increase the awareness of child abuse where she was honest and bold enough to share her own child hood incident in front of the world. She has the communication skills to convince others and leave an impact and create a connection with the masses. During the time of Hurricane Katrina she made an appeal to everyone to openly donate and everybody did. Oprah runs her own charity too. She is a woman of high energy; she is running the show from the past sixteen years. Her role as the leader has been goal oriented and focused. She campaigned for Barack Obama last year. Only an effective leader can do so many things at one time. She takes timely decisions. She has adequate effort and talent and she knows how to spend it wisely. That is what leadership is all about. The queen of day time television has been an effective leader. She went through rough times during her childhood but she was a pessimistic and never lost hope. A positive attitude is an effective leader’s quality. Only when you yourself are positive you can motivate your subordinates. She was alert she wanted to create a change. She planned, organized, controlled and led while success followed her. She is good at what she is doing. Though she had all the fame and fortune this did not stop her from helping the under privileged. Oprah contributes millions of dollars every year for charities. She runs her own charity too. Good leaders make successful nations therefore the world needs more people like Oprah Winfrey.

Robert E. Lee Essay -- Robert Lee Biography Biograhies Essays

Robert E. Lee   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807 in Stafford, Virginia. The son of Lighthorse Harry Lee and was educated at the U.S. Military academy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1829 he graduated second in his class receiving a commission as second lieutenant in 1836 and captain in 1838. He distinguished himself in the Mexican War and was wounded in the storming of Chapultepec in 1847; for his meritorious service he received his third promotion in rank.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He became superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy and later appointed colonel of calvery. He was in command of the Department of Texas in 1860 and early the following year was summoned to Washington, D.C., when war between the states seemed imminent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  President Abraham Lincoln offered him the field of command of the Union forces but Lee refused. On April, 20 when Virginia succeeded from the Union, he submitted his resignation of the U.S. Army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On April 23 he became commander in chief of the military and naval forces of Virginia. For a year he was military adviser to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, and was then placed in command of the Army in northern Virginia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In February 1865 Lee was made commander in chief of all Confederate armies; two months later the war was virtually ended by his surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The masterly strategy of Lee was overcome only by the superior resources and troop str...

Leading and motivating a team Essay

Leading and motivating a team effectively and understanding leadership †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. is registered charity providing social housing. Its vision is homes and neighbourhood’s we can be all proud of. They put customer’s first, keeping a strong financially viable, socially responsible, well governed business which is learning and growing achieving continuous improvements while obtaining value for money. My team Sustainment and Support(S&S) provides support, advice and assistance to customers who are vulnerable or in need. We successfully sustained tenancies and communities for tenants and will give them a platform to address other challenging issues and circumstances within their lives. The service is tailored to the individuals support needs, which is identified through the initial assessment. The support incorporates an action plan which is reviewed regularly to make sure the actions are being met. The most important characteri stics of a successful organisations is the clarity of purpose, adherence to core values, a distinct identity and a clear vision of the aim of the organisation. A good vision keeps the organisation moving forward and is a good motivator for the staff to achieve the set goals. All teams within the housing directorate have set goals and like the S&S team these have to be achieved. Without goals there would be no direction for the staff to achieve and participating in making the organisation successful. These targets and achievements are discussed at one to ones, and team meetings so team members are aware of how their performance contributes to the overall targets set at strategic level to achieve success overall. Other options available are away days, global emails to staff and group sessions. Not everyone likes to be communicated the same way. Email and literature works for some, but others would rather listen and talk. Respect the person you’re trying to communicate with and use the method they prefer. Clear communication and understanding is essential giving you the ability to deal with any issues or concerns that the staff have effectively and quickly. High performing teams will have clear understanding of roles and responsibility acknowledges the objectives, functions appropriately while carrying out the required task. Monitoring performance and regular 1-1s will indicate areas which require addressing, while allowing the team to be open and honest about what works and doesn’t and encouraging them to provide  feedback will show areas of strength and ways to improve. Receiving support and guidance from senior managers will enhance your own capabilities to lead the team UNDERSTANDING LEADERSHIPS STYLES – Kurt Lewin (phycologist) researched and created a model Lewins leadership Styles putting them in 3 categories .Authoritarian – provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. Participative- offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. And delegation -offers little or no guidance to group members and leave decision-making up to group members. A leader needs to analyse personal abilities, the group and the situation, then select the best leadership style. A leader who chooses the most appropriate style and has the ability to adapt is likely to be successful. There are many factors which could influence choice, size, skill, experiences and knowledge, individuals with different personalities and backgrounds. Large teams may have staff with varying levels of skill. This may require the manager to adopt a more authoritarian style, providing clear communication so that everyone knows what to do to achieve goals and tasks. On the other hand, team leaders may take a more participative approach with other managers of equal standing in order to get their own team functioning efficiently. The delegating leadership style is thought to be most effective when the followers are comfortable taking responsibility, and have the experience to accomplish the necessary tasks. The leader provides guidance in the decision making process; then delegates. Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard were the first to describe the delegating leadership style and recommend that the leader move around the task maintenance grid with a specific situation. Group maturity is a measure of group growth and development High Maintenance and Low Task High Maintenance and High Task Low Maintenance and Low Task Low Maintenance and High Task Low – task behaviour providing direction High Authoritative management styles, which make expectations clear. These styles allow for little input or innovation from subordinates and may breed resentment, which can result in subordinates disengaging from the organization’s vision and lead to lower productivity levels. A leadership style that has significant positive effects on subordinates requires cultivation. It is as important to know the people on your team as it is to know your organization’s vision and policies, take time to learn about their families and hobbies. Developing your knowledge will enhance your respectability, and getting to know your team will create camaraderie and mutual trust. Willingness to listen, flexibility and mutual respect are, crucial to developing a leadership style likely to produce the coveted effects of high productivity, flexibility, innovation and loyalty on subordinates. Self assessment survey carried out as part of my ILM learning indicated scores of 34 participative (democratic) ,28 authoritarian(autocratic),24 delegation(free reign).During my Housing Diversity Network(HND) mentoring program I completed a more in depth assessment which highlighted my strengths weaknesses and potential leadership qualities sharing the report with my line manager, colleagues and mentor then receiving feedback I reviewed criticism constructively, examined my own skills and developed an action plan to address weakness’s to expand my leadership capabilities ,which included additional training, coaching, mentoring and attending workshops and seminars. Participative leadership is a managerial style I consider to have the attributes to succeed with, this links in with organisations working practices allowing structured teams to empower them selves delivering services which are flexible and adaptable while working within the guild lines of the companies policy and procedures. Motivate and developed at team To motivate a team to successfully achieve the set goals and to work effectively while maintaining and improving performance I feel the use of Abraham Maslow’s motivation theory as guidance that will ensure that the team are kept motivated The basis of this theory is that people are motivated by unsatisfied needs and that certain lower factors need to be satisfied before higher needs can.  As long as we are motivated to satisfy these cravings, then we are moving towards growth and self actualisation. Satisfying needs is healthy while preventing has a negative effect. My Sustainment and Support(S&S) south team was created in mid 2012 bringing together staff with various skills and different personalities. I assisted my manager to help motivate and drive the team forward to be successful in obtaining the objectives of the organisation within this new structure. This included having discussions in team meetings to see if any obstacles would hinder staff from functioning to their full capacity, identifying needs then implementing with team building exercises, which was forefront of the process. Maslow’s model mirrors this by making sure our working environment and personal needs are met, providing all aspects of s afety. Love and belonging created great team spirit and high moral which was required as to the intensive nature of the post, enhancing the team’s wellbeing by bringing in Yoga and meditation which created a team that functions well and gaining a reputation of successful tenant engagement where others have found it difficult, e.g. Tenant facing court proceedings for rent arrears ,not responding to Income management (IM) but engaging with S & S while we stabilise the tenancy. When these pre court visits were introduced team members initially refused to carry out this task stating it was not part of their job role. it was an IM function, discussions during team meeting about the subject matter became heated creating low moral .The following week I explained to the team if we carried out this task, was successful we could show case the talents of the team to the organisation, talked about the positive effects this would have on our clients and encouraged everyone to take on board , bein g able to communicate in this fashion proved successful. I supported and motivated a member of the team who I shall refer as C who was not functioning at the correct level and not achieving the teams and his own individual set goals. I was given this task as part of my own leadership development plus the manager had used all the resources and C was still not operating team’s objectives, this was having an impact on the rest of team as case loads increased. With the threat of disciplinary action and the impact this could have on the team I felt I had experience and knowledge to assist having previously been part of a team which included C for a number of years and was well aware their learning style. I now realise the process I used symbolises two theory  models working alongside each other Maslow’s and Hershey and Blanchard situation leadership style Looking at that model the four headings of Directing, Coaching, Supporting, Delegating I feel covers the method I used to resolve this problem Directing – Provide specific instructions clear and simple while closely supervising task accomplishments Coaching – Continues to direct and closely supervise task accomplishments, but also explains decisions, solicits suggestions and supports progress Supporting – Facilitates and supports subordinates efforts toward task accomplishments and shares responsibility for decision making with them Delegating – Turns over responsibility for decision making and problem solving to subordinates. If we look at the Maslow triangle Physiological – In this case study for C there was a lack of confidence, knowledge and understanding Security – C felt threatened in his new role that perhaps he couldn’t achieve but now he feels his expertise is being recognised Loving and belonging – C initially felt isolated that the team had developed quicker than him, with the team being a strong supporting group they also assisted in the process Esteem- self esteem was low but grew as C developed Self actualisation – This is about reaching full potential, where I feel there has been significant change and is more motivated, there is still more room for development Looking at the actions taken below I do feel that in the process, styles were combined together to achieve a result. Bibliography www.teambuilding.co.uk/team-building-theory-maslow.html ILM learning material

Essay on Causes Effects of the Holocaust - 1422 Words

Causes Effects of the Holocaust There are times in history when desperate people plagued by desperate situations blindly give evil men power. These men, once given power, have only their own evil agendas to carry out. The Holocaust was the result of one such mans agenda. In short simplicity, shear terror, brutality, inhumanity, injustice, irresponsibility, immorality, stupidity, hatred, and pure evil are but a few words to describe the Holocaust. A holocaust is defined as a disaster that results with the tremendous loss of human life. History, however, generally identifies the Holocaust to be the series of events that occurred in the years before and during World War II. The Holocaust started in 1933 with the persecuting and†¦show more content†¦Instead, he believed that the betrayal and trickery of Communists and Jews, the evil partners of the Allies, had defeated Germany. (Resnick p. 16) But, Exactly when Hitlers eliminationist hatred of the Jews took form in his mind is still a matter of debate. (McFee p. 2) Hitler was obsessed with the racial superiority he believed the German peoples had over all other inferior peoples. He wanted to rule the world, but in order to carry out his solution, he needed to convince the German people to listen to him. Perhaps Hitler would never have been able to do what he did had World War I never occurred. As Resnick said in his book, The Holocaust; After World War I, Germany was trying to rebuild and recover#8230;Both the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression severely afflicted Germany. In many respects, these terrible conditions made Hitlers rise to power possible. (Resnick p. 15) People in desperate situations will listen to anyone offering a way out. Hitler offered not only a way out of Germanys turmoil, but also someone to blame for it; he pointed at the Jews. The Jews were not the only people persecuted and exterminated by Hitler and his regime... (Resnick p. 11) Gypsies, homo-sexuals, cripples, Jehovahs Witnesses, Catholic priests, the terminally ill, and Communists would all fall victims to the hatred and brutality of the Nazis. However, the attributes that made them worthy for elimination, according to Hitler, were allShow MoreRelatedThe Cause And Effect Of The Holocaust1811 Words   |  8 Pages2015 The Cause and Effect of the Holocaust Throughout the endless history, there were lots of important and influential event. For example the Dark Age, Enlightenment, Civil War, World War I and II and the Cold War. Over all of these event, there was one event that deeply influence the world and the Jews today, it was the Holocaust. Holocaust, a term that people use to describe the horrible event that happened during World War II which kill millions of innocent citizens. The Holocaust started atRead MoreThe Holocaust : The Causes Of The Holocaust804 Words   |  4 PagesAfter WW2, there was a thing called the holocaust. There were many concentration camps all over Germany where many Jews were killed in different ways. It happened between WW1 and WW2, 1933-1945. My position on why this happened is that Germany was going through a rough time, so Hitler wanted their country to resemble power. Read on to learn more about the causes and ways the Holocaust could have been avoided. The Holocaust was a mass slaying of groups of people which that Germany saw as inferiorRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder During The Holocaust Essay1297 Words   |  6 Pages PTSD in Holocaust Survivors The Nazis killed over six million Jews and millions of other Polish and Soviet civilians in the Holocaust. They also killed gypsies, physically and mentally disabled people and homosexuals. The number of survivors today are quickly dwindling down. Clinical psychologist Natan Kellermann defines a Holocaust survivor as any Jew who lived under Nazi occupation and was threatened by the â€Å"final solution† (Kellermann 199). This definition can be applied to not only Jews, butRead More`` Maus `` By Art Spiegelman And The 1997 Film Of Life Is Beautiful1557 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Holocaust. Maus, although presented as a graphic novel, strongly depicts the story of Vladek, a Holocaust survivor through his son’s recollection of the unfortunate events that occurred to him while evidently containing a torn relationship due to the effects of surviving one of the most tragic events in history. Whereas the film, Life is Beautiful portrays the tale of a Jewish family told by the forever appreciate son, Joshua, of Guido who creatively distorted the reality of the Holocaust to preserveRead MoreEssay on The Holocaust: The Concentration Camps1484 Words   |  6 PagesHolocaust is the most terrible human action in the history. It absolutely marks the ending of the previous mentality of human-beings. Therefore, a new round of discovery of evilness of human nature has been established. Best uncovering the truth of Holocaust will help prevent the furthur destuction of humanism, which is the most important mission of the society after World War II. There are many sources of Holocaust trying to best uncover the truth, such as the inhabitant’s experience of the immediateRead MoreThe Holocaust And Its Importance1382 Words   |  6 Pages Mrs Keeley ENG 111-4201L 08 April 2016 Remembering The Holocaust and its Importance In history, there has been many important events that were brought about to make the world as we know it today. One of the most important eve nts was world war II. This was a war that had many countries battling each other to try and stop the spread of communism. However, for one country it would have an everlasting impact on their history based on the massacre that happened during that time. Adolf Hitler was a viciousRead MoreThe s Argument That The Holocaust Is Only Available Through Representation758 Words   |  4 Pageslearning from traumatic experiences. Miller references Susan Suleiman’s argument that the Holocaust is â€Å"only available through representation†. Suleiman made this argument in response to Holocaust deniers who claim that fictitious memoirs confirm the inexistence of the Holocaust. However, the point supports the idea that art, including literature, allows the public to experience something like the Holocaust that otherwise would be not be available to experience. On the other hand, Miller successfullyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Night And The Movie 1564 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough major changes due to their experiences of the Holocaust, a period in history no man would want to envision. Schindler’s List is created to convey a different side for the tragic time in history, an ordinary businessman. This businessman, Oskar Schindler, wants to prove that there will be hope in this desperate time. However, the motive behind Night is different. In Night, the author Elie Wiesel aims to describe his experiences in the Holocaust to avoid the past from reoccurring. Hence, NightRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Maus 864 Words   |  4 PagesSpiegalman’s experience to be his best credential. Maus is a graphic novel that depicts basically a cat and mouse representation of the Holocaust. A graphic novel as defined by Webster’s dictionary is a â€Å"fictional story that is presented in comic strip format and published as a book.â⠂¬ (1) Maus tells the story of Spiegelmans father, and his experience as a Jew during the Holocaust. A subtopic within the novel includes Spiegelman interviewing his father, Vladek, and getting him to tell his story. All of theRead MoreThe Dark Times Of The Holocaust1088 Words   |  5 Pagesthe world every single day history is being made. And after a few moments, that’s just what it is-history. We can either learn from our mistakes over time, or we can recreate them. Most people think it’s best to learn from the dark times of the Holocaust then to relive them. Courage and bravery are great characteristics to have, but when you hold too much of them in you it will take you over. It will control you and take your whole body over slowly. Lots of historians believe this is what happened