Case Analysis- John Johnson and Ebony Magazine
Overview/Summary
Johnson and the Ebony magazine is a story that narrates about an African American boy who defied all odds to be successful and be the first African American to be on the Forbes 400 richest Americans. Johnson’s story becomes even more interesting, considering that he was raised by a single widowed mother who contributed immensely to him achieving greatness. Upon realizing that in Arkansas, there were no high schools that were admitting African Americans, Johnson’s mother moved with her family to Chicago so that Johnson would have a chance to join high school (Johnson, 1993). When Johnson informed her that he had an idea of starting a magazine, she sold her furniture in the house and gave the money to Johnson to fund his project (Jeffrey & Cathelyne, 2013). Johnson struggled in the early days of establishing a magazine, but later, his magazine became popular, and eventually, he became rich and became the first African American to appear on the Forbes 400.
Questions and Answers
Question 1. How would you compare the psychological world that John Johnson created for himself to the “reality” of the world around him in the 1940s?
The psychological environment Johnson created for himself was very different from the real world around him in the mid-20th century. During this period, African Americans were demanding their civil rights, and there was much discrimination against black people. It is evident from the case study that when Johnson was growing up, some states were not admitting African Americans into high schools (Jeffrey & Cathelyne, 2013). In other words, African Americans were designed to remain less educated in most states.
However, Johnson was lucky that his mother moved from Arkansas, one of the states that were not admitting African Americans into high school, to Chicago, where Africans were allowed to join high school (Johnson, 1993). Some states allowing African Americans to join high schools had separate schools for whites, blacks, and other races. In simple terms, while Johnson was growing up, there was great segregation and discrimination against blacks, which suppressed and killed their dreams. However, Johnson was determined to succeed. Psychologically, he knew and believed in himself that he had the potential to do great things despite the external societal forces that seemed to overwhelm him.
Question 2. In what ways did positive thinking affect Johnson’s life?
There are several ways positive thinking helped Johnson. First, positive thinking helped him overlook the obstacles that were placed along the way for African Americans. He knew that despite the many obstacles, there were already few successful African Americans, meaning he also had a chance to succeed. Thus, positive thinking enabled him to push forward in what he believed in (Sjöblom et al., 2022). Secondly, positive thinking helped him interact well with other people, and hence, he was accepted everywhere he went. While in high school, Johnson was a smart student, the president of his class, and was tasked with editing the school paper (Pavlovic, 2019). He won a scholarship because of his positive energy and brilliance. When he worked with Supreme Liberty Life Insurance Company, his potential was seen, and thus, he was given the task of compiling an in-house report on the digest of occurrences in the African-American community (Johnson, 1993). At this company, his idea of having his own magazine was conceived. Therefore, positive thinking and energy played a major role in Johnson’s success since they kept him going despite the many discouragements and impediments.
Question 3. What specific self-leadership strategies did Johnson use to help him achieve his objectives?
One of the self-leadership strategies that Johnson used is constructive thinking. He had constructive thought patterns of thinking that positively impacted his performance. Secondly, Johnson displayed a hardworking character (Sjöblom et al., 2022). He was always at the top of his class through hard work. In addition, Johnson displayed creativity in his work. Starting from high school, he was the editor of the school paper; he managed to get such as chance because of his interest and creative mind. Another self-leadership strategy that made Johnson succeed was socialization (Jeffrey & Cathelyne, 2013). His socialization skills enabled him to create friendships with many people and, thus, get more opportunities in every organization he worked with.
Question 4. How does Johnson’s life reflect the saying, “You can’t control the wind, but you can certainly adjust the sails”?
Johnson’s life, to some extent, reflects the saying, “you can’t control the wind, but you can certainly adjust the sails”. Johnson grew up when the wind of discrimination and neglect of the African-American child blew; however, since he knew that he had great potential, he worked to succeed (Jeffrey & Cathelyne, 2013). Despite the racism and discrimination, he came up with a magazine that focused on showcasing African Americans’ success stories to inspire other African American young people that there is a chance to succeed. Secondly, Johnson was born into a low-income family, and to make matters worse, he was raised by a single widowed mother (Sjöblom et al., 2022). However, this poverty situation did not hinder him from dreaming big. This also encouraged young African Americans in a similar situation by showing them that the chances of succeeding are there only if they could work hard and focus on their life goals.
Critical Aspects
The critical aspects of this case study include the pain and struggle of the African-American child in the 20th century. The racism and discrimination hindered many from achieving their dreams. Secondly, the critical aspect is the role played by Johnson’s mother in his success. She sacrificed to move from Arkansas, where she grew up and married and went to Chicago in search of a better life for her child (Johnson, 1993). In addition, she sold the only family furniture to give the money to Johnson to fund his project. The third critical aspect is that Johnson was the first African American to be listed on the Forbes 400.
Reflection
Johnson and the Ebony magazine story is one of the intriguing, heartwarming stories that deserve a read. The story narrates how a young African-American boy rose from poverty and worked hard to become one of the richest men in America. It also gives a snippet view of the structure of American society and the status of African-American people. It is also interesting to learn how Johnson fought with the thoughts of failure and success.
One of the great things I have learned from this story is that behind any successful individual, there is someone who provides the foundation for success. Like many African American children, Johnson was born in a low-income family and raised by a single mother. However, his success is greatly credited to his mother. The mother relocated to Chicago intentionally to enable Johnson to get a chance to join a high school. The mother also sold the family furniture to allow Johnson to realize his dream. The second lesson from this story is that people must often think positively despite the many obstacles. Johnson encountered many obstacles that could be reasons for not succeeding. However, he was determined that the obstacles would not hinder him and remained persistent and focused on his goal.
Thirdly, Johnson was the first African American to appear on the Forbes 400. Since then, many other African Americans have appeared on Forbes. I have learned that hard work and good socialization skills could help open more doors. Besides, Johnson was perfect in specializing and did his work well, which is why he was accepted and given more responsibilities. It is through these responsibilities that the idea of coming up with his magazine was born.
References
Jeffrey. & Cathelyne, L. (2013). Instructors’ manual, mastering self-leadership empowering yourself for personal excellence, 6th Ed. Pearson Education Inc. New York
Johnson, J.H. (1993). Succeeding against the odds. New York. Amistad
Pavlovic, S. (2019). Self-Leadership: Behave Like a Leader Until You Become One. https://herukahealthinnovations.com/2019/05/07/self-leadership-behave-like-a-leader-until-you-become-one/
Sjöblom, K., Juutinen, S., & Mäkikangas, A. (2022). The Importance of Self-Leadership Strategies and Psychological Safety for Well-Being in the Context of Enforced Remote Work. Retrieved 21 June 2022, from https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/challenges/challenges-13-00014/article_deploy/challenges-13-00014.pdf?version=1649063459.
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Question 
1. Write a brief Overview/Summary of the case in your own words describing the nature and/or background information pertaining to the case.
2. Write the question, then Answer and Respond to all of the Questions in the case. Use the chapter content to strengthen and support your answers.
Case Analysis- John Johnson and Ebony Magazine
3. In your opinion, what were some Critical Aspects and/or Assessments in the cases that were identified? What were some Critical Aspects that you perceived to be very vital?
4. Write a minimum 1-Page Reflection on what you learned from the case in relations to leadership and managing innovation and change.
5. Make sure your paper format is outlined with the following: (1) Cover Page Sectional Headings; (2) Overview/Summary; (3) Questions and Answers; (4) Critical Aspects and/or Assessments; and (5) Reflection Page.