Leadership Theories Of Bill Gates And Oprah Winfrey Management Essay

Leadership Theories Of Bill Gates And Oprah Winfrey Management Essay This paper serves to critically survey the various leadership theories and evaluate the leadership qualities of two prominent and successful business leaders in USA Bill Gates (Founder and Chairman of Microsoft Corporation) and Oprah Winfrey (Global Media leader). Chapter 2 describes the background of Gates and Oprah. Gates, from his early interests in computer programming, dropping out from Harvard by choice, to how he successfully transformed his software company, Microsoft, from a small start-up company to one of the worlds largest and most powerful corporations. On the other hand, Oprah, from her difficult childhood experience but early exposure to public speaking, to how her perseverance and self-motivation in doing her best in whatever she does, have brought her to become a global media leader (her own The Oprah Winfrey Show, her own Harpo Productions, her own O, The Oprah Magazine, etc.). Chapter 3 explores the evolution of leadership theories, from Great Man and Traits to the current Transformational Theory. Gates and Oprah leadership qualities are then listed and compared with earlier described leadership theories in Chapter 4 and 5. Chapter 6 covers the authors opinions and reasoned analysis about the leadership styles of Bill and Oprah before making the final conclusion in Chapter 7. 2. Background of Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey 2.1 Bill Gates William (Bill) Henry Gates was born in Seattle USA, in 1955. His father was a successful attorney and his mother was a teacher. At age 13, Gates discovered his interest in software and began programming computers on a school computer at the private Lakeside School (Microsoft 2010). In 1973, Gates enrolled at Harvard University but dropped out half-way as he wanted to concentrate on his start-up software business and did not want to miss the opportunity of developing software for personal computers. His company Microsoft, the worlds first microcomputer software company, was born in 1975. Gates later wrote, Our initial insight made everything else a bit easier. We were at the right place at the right time. We got there first (Krames 2003, p.157). In 1980, Gates was offered an agreement to provide the operating system (MS-DOS) for IBMs new PC. He secured his future by insisting that Microsoft retained the copyright to the system, so that he could also license it to other hardware manufacturers. This contractual masterstroke helped propel Microsoft into its position as the countrys largest software company. In 2002, Gates topped the Forbes 400 list of the worlds wealthiest individuals, with a personal fortune of $43 billion (Krames 2003). Gates handed the reins and the title of CEO over to Steve Ballmer in 2000, as Gates became Chairman and acted as Chief Software Architect of Microsoft Corporation to help in developing next-generation products (Krames, 2003). Since 2006, Ray Ozzie has assumed Gates previous title as Chief Software Architect as Gates wanted to devote an increasing proportion of his time to the philanthropic The Bill Melinda Gates Foundation (Microsoft 2010). However, Gates continues to serve as Microsofts Chairman and an advisor on key development projects after July 2008 (Microsoft 2010). Time Magazine named Gates one of the most influential people of the 20th century. For the fiscal year ending June 2007, Microsoft had revenues of US$51.12 billion and employs more than 78,000 people in 105 countries and regions (Microsoft 2010). Till now, Microsoft is still one of the worlds largest and most powerful corporations and currently ranked No.36 in Fortune 500 Companies list (CNN Money 2010). 2.2 Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey was born illegitimate in Mississippi USA, in 1954. She lived her first six years with her grandparents and was taught to read at an early age. Oprah began speaking in front of audiences since she was only 4 years old, touring local churches and reciting others sermons by memory (ONeil 2004). From age 6 to 13, she stayed with her mother in Milwaukee but suffered repeated abuse and molestation by her relatives. Her mother later sent her to live with her father, Vernon Winfrey, in Nashville. With strict rules and high standards, Vernon helped to turn her life around. He taught her that she always had to pursue excellence in order to succeed. Oprah absorbed that attitude and said, Theres no such thing as failure in my life, I just dont believe in it (ONeil 2004, p.13). Oprahs broadcasting career began at age 17, when she was hired by WVOL radio in Nashville, and two years later signed on with WTVF-TV as a reporter. She also attended Tennessee State University, received her Bachelor Honours Degree in Speech Communications and Performing Arts. Oprah moved up quickly and in 1978 discovered her talent for hosting talk shows when she became co-host of WJZ-TVs People are talking. In 1986, she began broadcasting nationally, via The Oprah Winfrey Show, which became the highest rated talk show in television history. Shes now the host and owner of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which consistently wins high ratings, and the founder of the Harpo Productions, Inc. which produces her television shows and movies. Her O, The Oprah Magazine, launched by Hearst Publications in 2000, ranked in the top tier of new magazines for circulation and advertising, becoming the first magazine ever to be both Advertising Age Launch of the Year and Magazine of the Year (ONeil 2004). In 2003, Oprah became the first African-American woman to join the ranks of billionaires, as published by Forbes magazine for that year (ONeil 2004). From 2004-2009, she was the only woman to have been included in all six of TIMEs 100 Most Influential People in World lists. Today, Oprahs accomplishments as a global media leader and philanthropist has made her as one of the most respected and admired public figures in the world. 3. Theories on Leadership Critical Literature Survey Leadership definition and list of leadership theories According to Richard Daft (2008, p.4), leadership is defined as follows: Leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes. The evolution of leadership theories started from Great Man and Trait theories to the present Transformational leadership. Kippenberger (2002) reflects the time-line of such evolution: Period Leadership Theory Up to mid-1900s 1900-48 1930s 1945-60s 1957-70s 1967- Present Day 1970s-Present Day 1970s-Present Day 1970s-Present Day 1978-Present Day 1982-Present Day Great Man Theory Traits Theory Lewins research into autocratic, democratic laissez-faire styles Behavioural Theory (especially Ohio, Michigan, Texas) Situational Theory Contingency Theory Charismatic Leadership Team Leadership Servant Leadership Transformational Leadership In search of Excellence thousands of management books on leadership Table 3.1 Source: Time-line figure from The Leadership Styles by Tony Kippenberger (2002) Great Man Theory Based on the belief that leaders are born with innate leadership qualities and destined to lead. This is no longer true in todays leadership concept. Trait Theory Arose from Great Man theory which assumed that people are born with inherited traits and so by identifying the list of traits of successful leaders, it was believed that people with such traits could subsequently be recruited into leadership position. However, there exists people with these traits but are not leaders or people without some of these traits but are leaders; making the results inconsistent and inconclusive. Therefore, researchers started to evolve the next two theories (Behaviorist and Situational). Stogdill (1974) identified the following traits and skills as vital to leaders: Traits Skills Adaptable to situations Alert to social environment Ambitious and achievement-oriented Assertive Cooperative Decisive Dependable Dominant Energetic Persistent Self-confident Tolerant of stress Willing to assume responsibility Clever (intelligent) Conceptually skilled Creative Diplomatic and tactful Fluent in speaking Knowledgeable about group task Organised Persuasive Socially skilled Table 3.2 Leadership Traits and Skills (Stogdill, 1974) Behavioural Theory Behavioural Theory looks at the behaviours of leaders instead of focusing on their inborn traits or capabilities. It believes that leaders can be made, rather than are born and behaviours can be learned more readily than traits. This opens the floodgates to leadership development and schools of researchers. Tannenbaum and Schmidt (cited by Daft 2008) illustrated that leadership behaviour could exist on a continuum reflecting different amounts of employee participation. Thus one leader can be autocratic (boss-centred), another democratic (employee-centred), and a third a mix of the two styles. However, Tannenbaum and Schmidt suggested that the leader might adjust their behaviours to fit the circumstances. John Adair Blake and Moutons Leadership Grid (cited by Daft 2008), as simplified in below table, focuses on production (task) and employee (people) orientations of managers, and combination of concerns between the two extremes. Leaders are rated on a scale of one to nine according to two criteria (Concern for People on vertical axis and Concern for Results on horizontal axis). The highly recommended and most effective style is Team Management as it rated High (for People) and High (for Task) and work accomplishment is from committed people while leader is committed to both people and task. Today, the consensus is that leaders can achieve a high-high leadership style (Daft 2008). Concern for People High Country Club Management TeamManagement Medium Middle-of-the-road Management Low Impoverished Management Authority-Compliance Management Low Medium High Concern for Results Table 3.3 The Leadership Grid (simplified) Situational or Contingency Theory Leadership style adopted is contingent upon situational factors such as the characteristics of the followers, characteristics of the work environment and followers tasks, and the external environment (Daft 2008). Leadership style that is successful in some situations may not be effective in others. Hence, in order to increase the likelihood of successful leadership outcomes, the leader has to fully discern the characteristics of tasks, followers and organizations and subsequently adopt the most effective leadership style. Fiedlers Contingency Model (Daft 2008) serves to diagnose whether a leader is task-oriented or relationship-oriented and match leader style to the situation in terms of 3 key elements (Leader member relations, Task structure and Position Power) which can be either favourable or unfavourable to a leader. Task-oriented leaders tend to do better in very easy or very difficult situations whereas relationship-oriented leaders do best in intermediate favourability. Hersey and Blanchards Situational Theory (Daft 2008) focuses on the readiness level of the followers to determine the effective leader behaviours such as Telling, Selling, Participating and Delegating style. The Path-Goal Theory (Daft 2008) states that leaders are responsible to increase followers motivation by clarifying the behaviours necessary for task accomplishment and rewards. The four types of behaviours the leader can adopt are supportive, directive, achievement-oriented and participative styles and the two important situational contingencies are the personal characteristics of followers and the work environment. The Vroom-Jago Contingency Model (Daft 2008) focuses on varying degrees of participative leadership, and how each level of participation influences quality and accountability of decisions. The model has three major components: leader participation styles (Decide, Consult individually, Consult Group, Facilitate or Delegate), a set of 7 diagnostic questions (High or Low answer) with which to analyse a decision situation, and a series of decision rules. It also takes into account factors such as concern for time versus concern for followers development. Leaders can analyze each situation and answer a series of questions that help determine the appropriate level of followers participation. Charismatic Leadership Charismatic Leadership is based on leaders personal characteristics as a source of power to emotionally impact people by appealing to both the heart and mind. These leaders create an atmosphere of change, articulate an idealized vision of the future, inspire and motivate followers with an abiding faith. Team Leadership Daft (2008) believes that team leadership is based on three principles: Firstly, team leaders must create a vivid vision that is challenging and inspiring so that it provides a strong sense of purpose and direction. Secondly, team leaders must be willing to admit their ignorance or mistakes and the third principle is to provide support and coaching to team members. Transactional Transformational Theory James MacGregor Burns conceptualized leadership as either transactional or transformational in 1978. Transactional leadership is a transaction or exchange process between leaders and followers (Daft 2008). Transactional leaders recognizes followers needs and desires and then clarifies how those needs and desires will be satisfied in exchange for meeting specified objectives or performing certain duties. Thus, followers receive rewards for job performance, whereas leaders benefit from the completion of tasks. Transformational leadership is characterized by the ability to bring about significant change in followers and the organization (Daft 2008). Transformational leaders have the ability to lead changes in an organisations vision, strategy, and culture as well as promote innovation in products and technologies (Daft 2008). Transformational leaders stimulate and inspire followers to both achieve the outcomes and develop them into leaders. Transformational leadership is based on the personal values, beliefs and qualities of the leader rather than an exchange process between leaders and followers (Daft 2008). Recent studies support the idea that transformational leadership has a positive impact on follower development and follower performance. Avolio, Bass and Jung (Cited by Bass, 2006) have identified the four components of transformational leadership as: Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation and Individualised Consideration. 3.9 X (Female) Y (Male) of Leadership Liz Cook and Brian Rothwell (2000) convincingly describe the differences (structural, operational and chemical) in the brain of male and female, which attribute to their different thinking and act even when faced with similar leadership situations. Their interpretation (Cook Rothwell, 2000) is that the natural and genetic gifts that the average female and male brain brings to leadership are as follows: Feminine Masculine Relationship orientation Dialogue Listening Coaching Appreciation of paradox Interpersonal connections Social awareness Group working Multi-tasking Appreciation of distinction Action orientation Competitiveness Vision Inventiveness Risk-taking Target orientation Status quo challenge Desire to be the best Focus Structure and form Table 3.4. Average Female and Male genetic gifts Much of the debate in the 1990s spent time persuading leaders that it was good to be female and it was men who needed to change their leadership style to feminine-oriented leadership, with the emphasis on building relationship. Nevertheless, Cook Rothwell (2000) believed that leadership training should embrace the strengths of both approaches as the strengths of both sexes are needed to counteract the weaknesses that each sex brings to the leadership equation. 4. Comparison of Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Qualities 4.1 Gates Leadership Qualities Gates possesses the following traits: Introvert, Intelligent, Knowledgeable, Aggressive, Charisma, Visionary, etc. Original vision when Microsoft was founded was a computer in every home. Oprah Leadership Qualities Oprah possesses the following traits: Extrovert, Intelligent, Self-Confident, Determined, Persistence, Excellent Communicator, Charisma, etc. Comparison of Gates and Oprah Leadership Qualities with Leadership Theories Both Gates and Oprah follows Transformational Leadership Theory 5. Comparison of Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Qualities and with Leadership Theories/Models 5.1 Comparison of 6. Authors opinions about Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Styles A REASONED ANALYSIS AND APPROACH Comparison of Bill and Oprah Motivation and Empowerment, Communication, Teams, Diversity, Learning Organization, Ability in bringing about change Motivation: Employees satisfaction à   Customers Satisfaction à   Customers Loyalty à   Companys Profitability Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Leadership Communication Effective listening and understand why listening is important to leadership communication. Recognize and apply the difference between dialogue and discussion. Appropriate communication channel for your leadership message. Use communication to influence and persuade others. Effectively communicate during times of stress or crisis. Transformational and charismatic leadership 7. Conclusion Based on extensive reading and research on leadership books, the authors conclude that effective leadership really boils down to how each leader first understand himself and then his followers, his organization and all external factors (inclusive of awareness of diversity, cultural differences and fast changing environment) prior to adopting the appropriate leadership styles and behaviours to suit these situations. In other words, theres no one fixed style as his or her leadership style should vary as per todays rapid changing and diversified business world. Gates is a visionary whereas Oprah is a transformational leader.

Can We Talk Essay

The article Can We Talk? Researcher Talks About the Role of Communication in Happy Marriages† gives us results as related to couples in marriages. In today’s society, many couples are too busy to stop, sit down, and have a meaningful conversation with their significant others. Terri Orbach, research scientist at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, has studied 373 married couples for more than 20 years. We will examine the findings and explore some of the roles of communication in happy marriages. After reading the text and the required article, I became more aware of what self-disclosure is and how it can affect relationships. Self-disclosure is defined as sharing aspects of yourself with other people. This can be a form of â€Å"showing your true colors†. Sharing areas of yourself that may have been misconceived, showing interest in others, and being more involved are ways that you can open up and form close bonds. In marriages, you assume that couples are already in-the-know about their mate. But this sometimes can be a part of a learning process in the relationship. I can relate to the article because I often find myself at a loss for words. I have been in a few relationships that were on different types of levels; professional, informal and social. Within each of these relationships, there were limited sharing on my part. I would agree that self-disclosure is important in a relationship because it allows you to recognize issues and feelings, and also can help you learn something about self that was unknown. Effective communication promotes a sense of trust, that holds marriages together. Orbach states that by using her 10-minute rule, couples have a good starting point to reconnect with each other. Just 10 minutes to talk about the interests of your mate, areas of conflict, or even about the job made many marriages happier. Because men and women express themselves differently, gender does have a role in communication in relationships. Many believe that some behaviors are masculine and others are feminine. It is often discouraged for men to cry, they are taught to be strong and heroic, while women are allowed to show emotions openly.

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Princeton Common App Essay Samples

If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Princeton Common App Essay Samples Princeton Common App Essay Samples Explained There are a couple of essential things that go into a terrific Common App essay. The Common Application was made by a non-profit institution with the target of providing more equality in the college application procedure. The use of the Common App is the exact same too. Don't forget that the Common App provides you with creative license. College will change you. Colleges are more inclined to admit students who can articulate certain explanations for why the school is an excellent fit about them beyond its reputation or ranking on any list. Find out more about University of Virginia. Find out more about University of Chicago. The Tried and True Method for Princeton Common App Essay Samples in Step by Step Detail Colleges are interested in finding a feeling of maturity and introspectionpinpoint the transformation and demonstrate your private growth. Whenever someone begins learning tennis, the principal focus is to maintain the ball in play. Otherwise, you need to make small investigating to collect the necessary information. Find out more about Tufts University. These perspectives can allow you to discover the suggestions and concepts which are behind what you do every day. It's very beneficial to take writing apart as a way to see just the way that it accomplishes its objectives. The procedure for your experience is extremely important. Enhancing your writing skills is among the most essential things you can do in order to prepare for college applications. This question was reworded for 2017-18, and the present language is an enormous improvement. In general, there's no single correct topic. Don't neglect to explain why the dilemma is valuable to you! Clearly articulate the issue. Princeton Common App Essay Samples The most important goal is to keep the coherence and be sure the essay is linked to the chosen prompt. The topic of your essay doesn't need to be completely novel. Regardless of which it prompt you address, it is essential to give yourself time to think about the information you are conveying and what it reveals about you. Your essay is likely to change so much in the interim between your very first draft and last revision. If you wish to see her essay in context, have a look at this hyperlink. Common app essay questions 2020 mostly stay unchanged when compared with the preceding calendar year. Bear in mind an excellent common app essay is the one which doesn't leave the audience indifferent. Also, do not forget that the last prompt gives you the ability to submit a present essay or even create your very own prompt. These seven sample essays respond to a selection of thought-provoking questions. In its core, the college application essay is about reflection. You're writing a college application essay, and you have to know about your audience. Some of our all-time treasured admissions essays are also a number of the shortest we have seen. What You Need to Know About Princeton Common App Essay Samples Your capacity to be exact is essential for keeping the term count low. In addition to that, each character has a certain stroke order that should be adhered to, making writing an art form together with a method of communication. So benefit from your capacity to say things fast. Inform us in the commentsand don't hesitate to share any questions you may have too! What you share can be meaningful in a variety of ways. Regardless of what topic you select, allow some time for extra editing. For example, you can zoom in on one specific element of your background and identity and the way it informs the direction you look at and approach certain things. Lastly, the detail of real speech makes the scene pop. Replace a number of the cliched language. In truth, it might be just the opposite. While having the ability to write about whatever you wish sounds great in theory, some students findespecially at the start of the brainstorming processthat they are debilitated by the subject of your choice option since it offers an excessive amount of option. The principal issue is to clearly show your approach to problem-solving. The key issue is to become something down!

Personal Narrative The Germantown Public Library

The Germantown Public Library is a quiet building in a small, rural town of Germantown, which is thirty miles outside of Oxford. The building is fairly new, remodeled in 2007, housing two levels. The upstairs is devoted to adult books, adult movies, cd’s, bathrooms, a history room, a circulation desk, three quiet study areas, and a quiet computer room. The downstairs is the children s area. It contains all the children and teen books, a slightly less quiet computer area, a craft room, a meeting room, a study room, two offices, and an information desk. All these appealing aspects make the space that draws in people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, different ages, and different education levels. I have been working at the library†¦show more content†¦There is normally not much overlap between those who got books, movies, or other items. The first field visit was during a day I was working on the desk, which is totally allowed by my work due to how much downti me there is when working the circulation desk. That night we had a movie program going on, which we do every Wednesday. I took notes for two hours on the people who came in and why, to the extent I could determine, they came in. There were thirty-six people, employees included, that came in. The numbers were very obvious as to what brought people in. There were thirteen in attendance of the movie, and another eleven were there to get on the computers. So one third of those who came in were to attend the program. If we exclude the program count since it is an anomaly and does not accurately represent the overall reason people came in, we get twenty three people in attendance over the two hours I took notes. This means almost one half of the people, employees and patrons, that came in, that were not going to the program, were coming to get on the computers. Taking away the employees in the count, sixty-five percent of the patrons came in for computer use. I find this to be extremely h igh and very interesting. I started to form new thoughts about the main purpose of the library. â€Å"Are we a computer resource that happens to offer books and movies?† The questions IShow MoreRelatedRichard Allen s Influence On African Americans8445 Words   |  34 Pagesanything but cause you stress because you?re putting your energy in irrelevant matters, use that energy into making yourself a respected citizen. [16: 1 Samuel 16:7; Zondervan Bible; New International Version] [17: Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, Narrative, 26.] Allen morally knew that slavery and segregation was morally wrong and went against what his spiritual beliefs were. He was a man driven by the work of Christ, with all sincerity he wanted to carry out his mission to love one another and knew