What’s In a Name?
Today, I’m going to do something unusual. I’m going to ask for your help in giving a title to an exciting new workshop that The John Maxwell Company has developed. But first, I want to tell you a story about titles.
People often ask me questions about the books I’ve written and how I go about the process. And one of the things people really want to know is how I come up with my titles. Well, I want to let you in on a little secret. I don’t always get to choose them. Sometimes the publisher does.
For example, I loved the title Thinking Your Way to the Top. I thought it was fantastic. I even played with the idea of announcing the publication of the book from the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago or the World Trade Center in New York. But my publisher didn’t think the title was strong enough. Instead, they called the book Thinking for a Change. I can’t complain. The book has done very well.
How about this title: Leading from the Middle of the Pack: Follow Me I’m Right Behind You? I loved that title too. My publisher? Not so much. Instead, they called the book The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization. Again, I can’t complain because this book has helped a lot of people, and the workshop developed by The John Maxwell Company has been very effective.
One more: Walking with the Giants, which just came out a few months ago as Wisdom from Women in the Bible. I believe the publishers’ title gives readers a better idea of what’s inside the book right off the bat.
Titles matter. If you’re writing a book or delivering a teaching, you want your title to be intriguing and descriptive. You want it to capture people’s attention and offer a promise that it will help them. If you’re working with others, you may not get to keep your title, but give it your best effort.
Now for my request. Here at The John Maxwell Company, we’re deciding on the title for our next workshop. If you’d like to play a part in the decision, please click here and choose the title that you believe fits the following description:
What if you didn’t have to squeeze into the Success Box others have made for you in order to perform at your best? This foundational leadership workshop guides participants through the process of discovering how each person is uniquely wired to lead and succeed. Workshop participants will
• Take two in-depth online assessments to discover why they do what they do.
• Understand how and when their personality hard-wiring gives them an advantage.
• Learn what causes blind spots and how to minimize their negative impact.
• Identify their natural tendencies for responding to conflict and managing stress in the workplace.
• Discover why others do what they do and how best to harness that diversity to achieve greater results.
This workshop is the natural starting point for people who want to be more productive, improve their teamwork skills, or develop their leadership based on their authentic self.
With your help, we hope to create a name that really communicates what the workshop is about and sets the stage for it to help a lot of people.
