Oprah Winfrey, has had more of an influence on Western society than most politicians and religious leaders put together. People trust her, because she has stayed true to herself in her career.

1. Part 6: Inspiring People

2. Oprah Winfrey, one of the
most familiar and welcome
faces on television the world
over, has had more of an
influence on Western society
than most politicians and
religious leaders put together.
Why do people trust her so
much? Simple – she has stayed
true to herself throughout her
career.
It was not an easy path to
success for Oprah. She had a
terrible childhood. Her family
battled with extreme poverty,
for which Oprah was often
bullied. They were so terribly
poor that she had to wear
potato sacks for clothes! To
make matters worse, she was
sexually abused at an early age.
An important part of being a
leader, as Oprah has
personally experienced time
and again, is that your actions
have an impact on your
followers. This can put a great
deal of pressure on leaders,
especially given that the more
power one has, the easier it is
to abuse it.

3. Such abuses of power throughout
our recent past only serve to
highlight Oprah’s incredible
modesty: while acknowledging that
she has become an influential
person, she has resolutely avoided
separating herself above and apart
from society.
Oprah Winfrey’s life teaches a great lesson about moral integrity. She is renowned for treating everyone with
respect, from the desperately poor to the wealthiest. Since Oprah came from such a poverty-stricken
background, and is now incredibly wealthy, it is phenomenal that she is so humble. She understands that a
great leader needs to treat people well, and that respect not just given, it is earned.

4. A few years ago Oprah started a school in Johannesburg, South Africa, called The
Leadership Academy for Girls. The aim of the school is to give students that are
from poorer backgrounds the opportunity to fulfil their potential in various fields.
Oprah interviews the potential candidates herself, and has a good relationship
with the
students at the
school. If there
are any problems
– be it with
teachers or with
students – Oprah
goes to the
school to sort
them out herself.

5. It may seem as though Oprah could not
achieve anymore – however – as she
accomplishes goals she sets a new goal.
Today, Oprah no longer hosts her world
famous talk show, The Oprah Winfrey
Show. Her main goal now is to educate
people, especially high school level, and
help them to access opportunities that
were never available before. Oprah’s
motto is that if you enable people to
become leaders it will affect their
families, their communities, and
eventually their nations.
“You face the biggest challenge of all: to have the courage to seek your big dream regardless of what anyone says.
You are the only person alive who can see your big picture and even you can't see it all.”

6. It may seem as though Oprah could not
achieve anymore – however – as she
accomplishes goals she sets a new goal.
Today, Oprah no longer hosts her world
famous talk show, The Oprah Winfrey
Show. Her main goal now is to educate
people, especially high school level, and
help them to access opportunities that
were never available before. Oprah’s
motto is that if you enable people to
become leaders it will affect their
families, their communities, and
eventually their nations.
Oprah leads by example. She has remained humble and level-
headed. Not only does Oprah put her time, money and heart
into enabling people to achieve; she also gives so much to
society. She has donated money to charity and to individuals
personally – those who would usually go unnoticed.

7. “Be thankful for what you have; you'll
end up having more. If you
concentrate on what you don't have,
you will never, ever have enough”
“The biggest adventure you can ever
take is to live the life of your dreams.”
“I trust that everything happens for a
reason, even if we are not wise enough
to see it.”
“I've come to believe that each of us has apersonal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint -and that the best way to succeed is to discoverwhat you love and then find a way to offer it toothers in the form of service, working hard, andalso allowing the energy of the universe to leadyou.”
“Challenges are gifts that force us to
search for a new center of gravity.
Don't fight them. Just find a new way
to stand.”
“We can't become what we need to be
by remaining what we are.”
“The big secret in life is there is nosecret. Whatever your goal. You canget there if you're willing to work.”
“What God intended for you goes far
beyond anything you can imagine.”
“The great courageous act that we
must all do, is to have the courage to
step out of our history and past so that
we can live our dreams.”
“Surround yourself only with people
who are going to take you higher.”
Words of Wisdom

8. References:
http://www.owla.co.za/index.htm
http://blogs.hbr.org/2009/11/what-oprah-can-teach-you-about/
http://www.biographyonline.net/humanitarian/oprah-winfrey.html