3 Leadership Lessons From Oprah Winfrey Executive Producer Sheri Salata In “The Beautiful No”

Your average corporate executive’s bookshelf may not necessarily include Sheri Salata’s, “The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial, Transcendence, and Transformation,” among standard reads, but it should. This new book from the former Oprah Winfrey executive producer and Co-President of the Oprah Winfrey Network is chock-full of honesty, wisdom, and insights that tap into some of the most challenging aspects of living a full and complete life, even when you’ve got a dream job and extraordinary career.

For over two decades, Salata really did seem to have it all. Even so, when she stepped down from her role in 2016, she described her life as a full-blown catastrophe and embarked on a personal reckoning after spending years putting her own needs, health, and dreams on the back burner. As she began her journey of self-reflection and awakening, she imagined her future epitaph: “Sheri Salata. She had a great job. For a long time.” It’s one of the many powerful moments in the book where Salata writes about the truth staring her in the face: “I’ve had a dream-come-true career but not a dream-come-true life,” and commits to living differently.

Today, she is the co-host of the popular podcast, The Sheri + Nancy Show, cofounder of thepillarlife.com, and describes her life as one guided by joy, happiness, and radical self-care. Along the way, she also learned powerful lessons that apply to any leader that wants more.

Career Superstars Of The Future Will Stop Efforting.

Salata describes her former life as one where work took center stage and her value was tied to achievement. Despite having a front-row seat to the best experts and biggest names in personal development, she wasn’t yet ready to swap unhealthy practices for stress-relieving ones. “Everything I achieved was 90 percent through efforting,” says Salata, describing her former style of outworking everyone else, pushing hard, and doing whatever it took to make things happen. “To an employer, that may be attractive, but pretty soon, I believe that kind of behavior will look unenlightened.”

Instead, the real superstars at work will be those who have mastered their ability to rest, revitalize, and manage themselves in order to map out the life of their dreams, shares Salata. “Efforting is an outdated way of working, that old-fashioned competitive drive that says you have to work faster and harder and grind it out. It’s an insecure way, a fear way.”

The World Reflects Back To You The Stories You Tell Yourself.

It only takes a few pages into “The Beautiful No,” to appreciate the significance of stories in creating change and transformation. Their power is well-appreciated by leaders and companies in engaging employees, selling to customers or building a brand, but Salata addresses something far more important that they do for us. “What we say to ourselves about ourselves – is life and death. The difference between the joy ride and the hard road.” She adds, “Moment by moment, the world is reflecting back to you the stories you repeat to yourself on autopilot.” Her suggestion? Start by examining the stories you currently tell yourself (“it’s not the right time to ask for a raise” or “our clients aren’t willing to spend more for my services”) and be willing to rewrite them. 

To Ignite Action, Use A Different Talk Track.

There’s a certain tone and word choice to “The Beautiful No” that provides a combination of warmth and honesty with just the right amount of kick in the pants needed to create change. Salata’s fresh, modern voice taps into an entirely different way of compelling people to take action and offers an interesting contrast with what you might hear inside some companies today. The difference between the previously tough, critical voice she used on herself to one that is honest and direct, and also tender and encouraging turned out to be a game-changer and created a new soundtrack for her life. It’s a powerful lesson for any leader that wants similar results – not only do words matter, but they can be the make-or-break difference that creates lasting and meaningful change.

Former Oprah Winfrey Executive Producer Sheri Salata writes about transformation in her inspiring,”The Beautiful No.” Sheri Salata