I suggest instituting "private time" hours for yourself. At your next staff meeting, tell your direct reports that you intend to lock yourself in your office for one hour each day to work on their behalf at becoming a better leader. Lead them to reach consensus among themselves on which hour is best. Then, start immediately.Block the hour off on your calendar for the next decade, and write "leadership meeting" as the subject. When you are in your private time, hang a sign on your door that says something like, "As agreed, I am in my private time from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. I would be delighted to meet with you at any other time during working hours." Turn your phone ringer off and turn off the sound your computer makes to tell you that e-mail has arrived. Cover your window to avoid visual distractions. If necessary, go to an empty conference room or hide somewhere else.
During this time, do not read or answer e-mails, listen to voice mail or return phone calls (do that during regular hours between interruptions). Use this time to work on something that will make you a better leader. So, what should you do? Reading is a great choice. For example, if you want to reduce the number of unwanted visits to your office, read up on how to deal more effectively with performance problems, the #1 time eater (and stress causer) for most supervisors. I recommend "Discipline Without Punishment", by Dick Grote. When I was a manager at Kodak I taught myself how to type faster (I used a program called "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing"), which has been saving me time for ten years now (think about it). I am sure you can think of many other great ways to spend this time.
Of course, one hour per day is just a start. As you become a better leader, your people will need less of your time and you will be able to spend as much as four hours per day making yourself more effective, for them and your organization.
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