5 Career Lessons from Oprah Winfrey
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 8:35 am
Oprah Winfrey was born into a family so poor that as a child she wore potato sacks as clothing. Her single, teenage mother struggled to support her, and Oprah suffered physical and sexual abuse from her family. At fourteen, she became pregnant, but her baby died shortly after birth.
It is from this background, and these beginnings, that Oprah became the “Queen of All Media” and, according to some, the most influential woman in the world. Her flagship venture, The Oprah Winfrey Show, is the highest-rated TV talk show in history and Oprah has gone on to command an empire that has made her North America’s first and only multi-billionaire black person.
It is hard to overestimate this businesswoman’s power. Oprah has been credited with malta phone number resource the ability to make books instant bestsellers, for bringing LGBT people into the mainstream, and for swinging presidential elections.
Her advice, in short, is worth listening to.
Oprah career advice
Lesson #1: “You can have it all. You just can't have it all at once.”
The ability to prioritise is a skill many of us struggle with. Especially as career starters, there are often so many things that we want to achieve that it’s easy for us to spread ourselves too thin. But most goals require 100% of our time, energy and effort to give us a fighting chance of hitting it. Figure out what’s most important to you at this moment in time, and pour your heart and soul into getting it.
Realistic timelines are also important: you simply cannot become CEO overnight. Break big goals down into segments and focus on achieving one step at a time. Constant progress keeps you motivated, and small steps forward keeps you on track.
It is from this background, and these beginnings, that Oprah became the “Queen of All Media” and, according to some, the most influential woman in the world. Her flagship venture, The Oprah Winfrey Show, is the highest-rated TV talk show in history and Oprah has gone on to command an empire that has made her North America’s first and only multi-billionaire black person.
It is hard to overestimate this businesswoman’s power. Oprah has been credited with malta phone number resource the ability to make books instant bestsellers, for bringing LGBT people into the mainstream, and for swinging presidential elections.
Her advice, in short, is worth listening to.
Oprah career advice
Lesson #1: “You can have it all. You just can't have it all at once.”
The ability to prioritise is a skill many of us struggle with. Especially as career starters, there are often so many things that we want to achieve that it’s easy for us to spread ourselves too thin. But most goals require 100% of our time, energy and effort to give us a fighting chance of hitting it. Figure out what’s most important to you at this moment in time, and pour your heart and soul into getting it.
Realistic timelines are also important: you simply cannot become CEO overnight. Break big goals down into segments and focus on achieving one step at a time. Constant progress keeps you motivated, and small steps forward keeps you on track.