Can you show a picture?

Here is a picture. Obviously, there are no leaves. The weight of the leaves doesn't pull down the branches much.

The form looks perfectly normal for a young tree. You just need to have some patience....the tree will grow into itself in time :-)

Yes. Absolutely fine.

Some good advice on THIS VIDEO:

Many kinds of trees grow vertically when they are young, otherwise they would never become tall. Or take a much longer time to get there.

Maritimer - I'm curious what variety of linden that is?

Agree, looks fine to me.

with trees.. we talk of tree time ... which is counted in decades ...

i see no reason to trim the top ... and it will only force more vertical growth.. to replace the lost leader.. and probably put up multiple new leaders.. screwing it up for eternity ... hows that for drama.. lol ..

if you insist on pruning something.. look for injured branches.. and properly remove them ...

and you might come up with a plan to lift the canopy.. IF THAT IS A NECESSARY LONG TERM GOAL ...

WHEN WAS IT PLANTED.. WHY IS IT STILL ... oops ... still staked ... was it a large transplant that requires multiple year staking??? .. if not.. perhaps its time to remove such ...

if i havent said it before.. welcome to the forums.. and if i did.. whats the harm to do it again ...

just put down the pruning tools.. and step away for a decade or so ...

ken

here might be an interesting way to think about it ...

as it puts on height... it will start shading itself.. which will cause side branches to grow horizontally ... in search of full sun ...

and that is when .. in tree time... it will perhaps start looking like your preconceived notions ...

ken

Thanks for the video. That is tremendously helpful.

Can't argue if everyone is on the same page. I appreciate all the responses

arbordave ; I know I kept the identification label, but I can't seem to locate it. It's a pretty common variety for the Zone 5 that I am in.

Greenspire Linden perhaps?

Nice looking tree. As others have said, the head should grow into the shape you desire with age.

that was a pretty good video .... but i have two thoughts ..

first... the loppers were perfect for those size branches .... if they were much bigger branches .... it would have been saw time ... if you use them on too big a branch.. you could have crushing injury ...

in other words.. the moral of the story is.. use the right size tool ...

note .... when he went up top.. he used hand pruners ...

second.. those loppers were probably sharper than mine the day i bought them .. lol ... never hurts to sharpen you pruners.. before the job starts ... and while you have the hand whet stone out.. sharpen your shovel.. etc ... go all viking on them.. lol ...

ken