Hi Reader,

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​As we discussed on Monday – If you don’t take time to think, someone else will do the thinking for you … maybe your competitors.

Protect the Castle from the Intruders

From the unusual amount of email I received over the last few weeks, I'm reminded once again that we share a universal frustration for the distractions that confound our days.

A lot of folks have ideas about this, but a good first step to taming this behemoth is to understand these forces and how they derail your focus and productivity.

Leadership & Effectiveness are Sleeping Together

On Monday, I emphasized that to be an Effective Leader, you need some quiet time … TIME TO THINK.

If you accept it’s impossible — "I've got too much to do to take time to think" — or, "I'm always thinking. What do you mean?" ...

... you won’t be able to do WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO, and devote the time to those challenges that require you to actually “think” instead of just “act”.

The techniques I’ve described below can help you gain that invaluable head space – maybe a place where you take out that blank sheet of paper.

If you can protect yourself from the constant disruptions and interruptions that eat up your day, your ability to Become a More Effective Leader — and to be productively engaged with the most important aspects of your life — will grow exponentially.

Stop the Death by a Thousand Cuts

There are countless tactics and techniques to deal with these pesky intruders, but many of them are tourniquets to quench the flow from the death of a thousand cuts.

As a leader, you must ask, “How do I stop them before they get in the door?”

The 4 Step Approach to Stop the Intruders and Get Time to Think

Build a moat … then barricades … then lookout posts ….

First, you need to build a moat around your kingdom … and then a defensive perimeter … and then erect a few more barricades and lookouts.

Think of a set of three concentric rings, with you in the bulls-eye.

If each of these rings is defensible, and nearly impregnable, you’ve got a fighting chance to find the head room you need to Become a More Effective Leader, destroy the detractors and relaunch a more productive life.

1. Defend Your Schedule

Think of the ring furthest from you as the one that protects your schedule.

Getting out of the office where you can close the floodgates for a while is a surprisingly powerful approach.

Time is your most precious resource, so allowing anyone and everyone to manage your calendar defeats your ability to control your day.

Mark off some “office hours.”

Block some “do not disturb” time.

If you have a trusted assistant who you want/need to manage your calendar, be very intentional about what authority you're granting to them.

Assistants can be very helpful about what commitments to accept on your behalf – but at the same time, they probably don't fully understand what's in your head and where you need more time to focus on WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO.

Only you fully grasp when your effectiveness requires quality time away from meetings and other commitments to "think" and re-prioritize what's needed for you to do what WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO.

2. Defend Your Turf

What is your turf?

It’s WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO.

I’ve often referred to what only the CEO can do, but the same concept applies to every executive and to many, if not most, employees.

There are certain things that ONLY YOU CAN DO.

You have the experience … the perspective … the expertise to accomplish certain things that you do better than anyone. More importantly, if you’re not doing them, no one else is either.

Be careful to defend this ground so that you’re laser-focused on getting done those things that ONLY YOU CAN DO.

3. Defend Your Space

The closest circle is your physical space.

You control who stops by your office, how much time they take, whether you can afford the time at that exact moment.

One attractive tool to manage the “drop-bys” is to take a close look at the time-honored system adopted by college professors … “office hours.”

Some of you will say,

What that really means is that part of you welcomes the interruption.

You get a lot of satisfaction by being the “go-to” guy or gal, the firefighter that people look to when they need help.

It’s a great skill … and firemen are in great demand … but not if the job is, say, building a business.

4. Defend your Headspace

The bulls-eye is you in the castle keep, and your defense needs to be strongest when the enemy is breathing hard on the other side of the door.

This is the head-space you need to actually think … to reflect … to make sure that before you climb the ladder, it’s up against the right wall.

Don't let them hang on your door frame waiting to talk - or to text you constantly with minor items – and let them know you're not checking your email all day long.

Give them some kind of a lifeline if there's blood in the floor.

But otherwise, make them play by YOUR rules and not theirs.

That may sound harsh to some – but reasonable to most who realize that time is precious and no one else will defend it for them.

If you don't think so, try telling your boss that the important project you had – couldn't get done because you had to deal with too many interruptions.

Here is the Defensive Playbook to guide you:

1. Defend Your Schedule
2. Defend Your Turf
3. Defend Your Space
4. Defend your Headspace

Manage the keys to the kingdom to get the most out of your day.

Don’t work longer hours … be more productive.

Don’t hesitate to defend your domain.

You can be damn sure nobody else will do it for you.

Question: What are you doing to get some time to think and focus on only the things you can do? You can share your thoughts anytime by responding to this email.