My Most Important Titles

Throughout my career, I have always taken the premise that focusing on my work – producing for my clients, helping my colleagues, and growing my skills – would be the things that propelled my career. More salary, benefits and titles would come as a result of greater ability and performance.

I have been privileged to attain titles of president, executive vice president, global head of this and that, and many more titles bestowed upon me from some of the top agencies and icons of the public relations industry.

But of all the titles I have achieved professionally, there is no more important set of titles to me than those in my personal life – husband, father and grandfather!

Now I do understand and appreciate that titles have an important place in any business. They recognize professional achievement, create hierarchies that when effective, can lead to top performance in organizations. But while titles certainly have a place in our professional lives, we need to be careful not to let them play an oversized role in how we view ourselves and our work. We need to be far more excited to hear from clients about what our idea or work achieved for them, than we do of how we see ourselves when we look at our business card.

Recognition should be your wife, husband or significant other appreciating what you do for them, your children learning and growing from your example, and your grandchildren loving you. Sometimes, each of us needs a reminder of what titles are the most important in our lives.