I'm Jared Cohen

From the Sidelines to the Arena:

For the first 20 years of my life, I felt like I was watching the world from the sidelines. I saw others step into their potential while I struggled with self-doubt and hesitation. I felt trapped by my own limitations, unsure how to bridge the gap between where I was and where I wanted to be.

In 2010, I walked into a CrossFit gym for the first time. I wasn’t athletic, competitive, or confident. But something about it felt different—a challenge that seemed impossible, yet also deeply necessary. That single step into discomfort became the spark that ignited a lifelong transformation.

Through CrossFit, I discovered I could push beyond what I thought was possible. It wasn’t just my body that became stronger—it was my mindset. I shifted from believing “I can’t” to knowing “I can.” This simple but profound change redefined who I thought I could be.

Becoming Equipped to Evolve

As I grew stronger physically, I also grew more curious about what else was possible. I became a coach, first in CrossFit and then in mobility, Olympic weightlifting, and performance psychology. For nearly a decade, I guided others to push their limits and uncover their potential. I worked with a wide range of individuals: Navy SEAL candidates, TSA Officers, martial artists, high-school athletes, triathletes, musicians, and business owners.

But as fulfilling as this work was, I began to see something was missing—for both myself and those I coached. Success in a single domain felt incomplete. People could hit their goals in the gym, on the field, or in their profession, yet still feel stuck or disconnected in other areas of their lives.

I started asking deeper questions about growth: How do we integrate personal and professional evolution? How do we get better at being honest with ourselves about what we truly believe, feel, want, and need? How do we have those difficult conversations? How do we align what we do with who we truly are?

Those questions led me to pursue advanced degrees in sport and performance psychology, as well as an MBA focused on organizational psychology. I wanted to go beyond performance coaching and explore what it takes to create meaningful, lasting transformation—both for myself and for others.

The Shift from Expertise to Leadership

During my studies, I came across a pivotal insight: leadership isn’t just about improving outcomes; it’s about fostering alignment. It’s about helping individuals connect their inner growth with their outer actions. This realization shifted my focus from performance optimization to leadership development.

This new path took me into the world of organizational leadership. I became a certified practitioner of DISC, the MPWR toolkit, and Market Force Styles, working with Fortune 500 companies, fast-growing startups, and large public organizations.

At the Los Angeles Department of Health Services, I have had the privilege of leading my own team of coaches, and coaching over 1,000 leaders across diverse disciplines, e.g., nursing, psychiatry, radiology, anesthesiology, correctional health, speech therapy, supply chain management, patient safety, and human resources.

During this time, I have discovered that regardless of someone’s expertise, the transition from being the expert to leading experts is one of the hardest—and most rewarding—evolutions anyone can undertake.

From Reactivity to Mastery

Leadership isn’t just professional—it’s deeply personal. I learned this firsthand when I began exploring my own emotional intelligence. Despite my years as a coach and my academic training in psychology, I realized I wasn’t as in touch with my feelings as I thought. My anger, frustration, and moments of reactivity weren’t just “bad days”—they were signals of something deeper I needed to confront.

With the help of my wife Rachel, trusted mentors, and a lot of reflection, I came to understand that true leadership starts with emotional mastery. Leading others effectively requires you to first take responsibility for how you lead yourself. This was, and continues to be, one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned, but it’s also been one of the most transformative—for me and for the leaders I guide.

The Leadership Operating System: A Framework for Evolution

Out of these experiences, I developed the Leadership Operating System (LOS). It’s a synthesis of everything I’ve learned—drawing on neuroscience, performance psychology, and real-world leadership insights. The LOS equips leaders with the tools they need to navigate complexity, adapt under pressure, and inspire trust.

But more importantly, it goes beyond tools. The LOS helps leaders align their inner growth with their outer impact. It’s about turning survival mode into creative energy, fear into ambition, and individual success into collective transformation.

Why I Do This Work

I believe that the quality of our lives is dependent on our leadership. We are all leaders, regardless of our hierarchy, position, or title, because we are all influencing and impacting the world around us. The question to ask ourselves is not… am I a leader? It is… how intentional am I with my leadership?
How intentional am I about acknowledging my contribution and examining whether it aligns with my values and purpose?

How intentional am I about transforming my influence and impact so that I continue to lead from a place of:

• Curiosity instead of judgment…
• Understanding instead of criticism…
• Discussion instead of punishment…
• Trust instead of control?