Leadership, Learning

Creating Context with Titles

Colorful flowers and book on green background.

I am fascinated by titles. Titles orchestrate our attention by providing us with a vantage point from which to make meaning out of what we consume. Titles, like genre, curate our expectations so we have a clear entry point into the experience. Think about what it is like to listen to a song, watch a movie, or read a book without knowing what it is called.

It is likely that your attention will be less invested and engaged because without a title, your brain cannot process it as its own thing. Without a title, how do you speak about it to others? When you title your work, you give it a metaphysical address. Titles provide art with geographical depth. To leave something untitled is to hide from actually sharing your work with others.

Titles provide a reference point and references are a beacon of creating context. Context frames attention and titles are the first step in doing that, like the purpose of your own name.

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Drawing from my education, experience, and devotion to guiding leaders (including myself) at different stages in their journey from individual contributor to leader, I help leaders like you to develop the trust and the tools to model and enable exceptional team performance.

Jared Cohen

Leadership Coach, M.A., M.B.A.