Leadership and Confucian philosophy

Leadership in Terms of Confucius

Analytical Essay: Oprah in via a Confucian Perspective

When one looks at some of the greatest leaders in history, one thinks of courageous people like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Bill Gates. However, this paper seeks to determine what the most important qualities of a leader really are with regards to the standards set forth by Confucius. The standards set are the ones set by Confucius in regards to what makes an effective leader in terms of the small picture (getting people to do what one wants) and the larger picture (making real change that world needs and requires). This paper will examine the work and life of a living figure: someone who has touched a tremendous number of lives and who has used her advantage and influence to promote good. This paper will examine the life and work of Oprah Winfrey and assess just how she fits perfectly into the parameters of good leadership as stated by Confucius.

Possessing virtue is one manner in which someone can be an effective leader: this is truly and absolutely an important quality to Confucius. Consider the story of Ramayana: the values and virtues of leadership are discussed rather plainly:

"Soft in speech, sedate and peaceful, seeking still the holy path,

Calm in conscious worth and valour, taunt nor cavil waked his wrath,

In the field of war excelling, boldest warrior midst the bold,

In the palace chambers musing on the tales by elders told,

Faithful to the wise and learned, truthful in his deed and word,

Rama dearly loved his people and his people loved their lord!

To the Brahmans pure and holy Rama due obeisance made,

To the poor and to the helpless deeper love and honour paid," (Overton, 333)

This is clearly not a rash or impulsive leader: thus, according to Confucius one of the major qualities of leadership is someone who thinks before he acts, and who considers is actions very carefully. Oprah Winfrey clearly embodies such qualities. She's someone who has a full staff of advisors who are there to help discuss and strategize with her when it comes to every move that she should or could make given her career and her network. Another quality of leadership that Confucius obviously values is strong reverence to wisdom. Wisdom can be gained through experience and through study: Oprah has very vocally made it clear that this is a priority to her. Winfrey is very public about her struggles throughout childhood and life, sharing her childhood of abuse and discussing how she taught herself to read, being previously illiterate. This is someone who got to her success through a great deal of struggle and who thus gained an enormous amount of wisdom throughout the way. Oprah also uses her power as a trusted media personality to promote reading. Oprah had a book club long before it was popular and was someone who urged Americans to start reading again. This is a highly virtuous quality: Oprah is someone who values education and wants to use the power of her influence to get others to value it as well and to see the good that is inherent within it.

Another aspect of the virtue of leadership that is itemized by Confucius is the statement "In the palace chambers musing on the tales by elders told," (Overton, 333). This is strongly evocative of the manner in which Oprah is very vocal about her lifelong friendship with Maya Angelou. Angelou was a wiser elder and Oprah never hesitated to have her on the show and never hesitated to discuss the insights and wisdom that Angelou provided. This is demonstrates an incredibly high correlation to a Confucian value of leadership. Winfrey never acts as though she has all the answers: she is happy to defer to people that she feels have more expertise than she does. Winfrey is constantly available to share the knowledge and the wisdom that she's collected throughout the years.

Another tremendous value of leadership according to Confucius is demonstrating the ability to rule wisely and fairly. This means in part demonstrating the ability to take care of others under one so that one's team and staff members are taken care of. This is a clear aspect of Winfrey's career and reputation: working for her company is long known to be an experience where employees are richly rewarded for their work with great benefits, gifts and vacations. Many people have remarked that working at Harpo (oprah's company) is like a dream. This tenet alone is evocative of Confucius' statement "Higher thought and nobler duty did the righteous Rama move, / By his toil and by his virtues still he sought his people's love" (Overton, 2012). Another way in which Oprah is able to rule with wisdom and fairness is via the tremendous transparency with which she conducts herself. If people gossip about her or if they vehemently disagree with something she has said, these issues are always brought to the light of day where they can be discussed in the open. This is a sign of great leadership and wisdom: Oprah doesn't allow these issues to fester in the darkness. Instead, she brings them out into the light where they can be appropriately dealt with and examined. For instance, Oprah addresses all the rumours that she's gay head on and makes a clear stance on them, instead of just ignoring them. Even when a scandal breaks Oprah addresses it. For example, the sexual abuse scandal with the Oprah's school in Africa rocked and shocked the nation. However, the way in which Oprah dealt with it was not a private matter. She confronted it head on, taking swift and decisive action.

An additional manifestation of strong leadership that Confucius admires and values is the ability to think and then action with swiftness and a strong will. These are qualities that Oprah has long demonstrated and been able to develop. Oprah is very clear about what she feels is wrong with the world and what she believes needs to be changed. Winfrey supports the redistribution of wealth, investing money in education, and working hard to give women and female children more opportunities. Winfrey is also highly spiritual and urges us to seek out the greater and more nuanced aspects of life. These qualtieis are heavily evocative of the following statements made about Rama: