“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

While you are listening to this podcast, I hope that you are taking the ideas you learn and you are implementing them into what you're doing so it can take you places to where you want to go. My ultimate gift is to have an e-mail from you letting me know how this podcast has helped you, how you're taking ideas and implementing them, whether it is in your leadership style, your business, or your organization or just how you live your life.

One thing I really want to hone in on the leaders being learners. Learning is not a one-time event. It is not about going to a seminar or conference and buying every package that might be sold or you or just attending and then just making it a social visit. Building relationships are very important but what I also need you to do is I need you to take away some of the things that you learn and start implementing them into who you are and what you do. It will change your practices. It will change your perspective of how you do things.

The reason why I want you to start being open to learning more and new information is because you become better today than you were yesterday. You will come up with better solutions. You will come up with new ideas to be implemented. Y might be saying to yourself, “I do not have a lot of time; I barely get to the gym, have supper, go to the kids soccer game.” I get it. I have three kids I am a busy lady too.

I know that learning is very important. Sometimes, I have the book stuck in my purse or by my bedside, even if it's 10-15 minutes a day, I am reading. I take a book to the doctor's office because there is downtime. Think about all the places you have downtime. There are other ways audios, the audio books, and podcasts like this one on Kindle or Kobos, going to conferences, workshops, reading the newspaper, or talking with others in the industry. There are lots of ways to learn and grow.

What I Have Learned About Leadership

One of the things I was learning more about leadership and in my own practices is that leaders are not afraid to show their gaps in their knowledge. They look for opportunities to learn how to handle situations better. They ask more questions they don't assume that they know everything. I know I don't, so I'm an insatiable learner. I am always trying to learn more information. As a leader, you could be willing to admit your mistakes and learn from them so that the people who follow you know that it's okay to do the same. It's about learning and growing. One of the biggest things that you can do that can make you more successful is to learn what motivates the people who work for you. How do you inspire them? How do you help them become a learner?

Shocking Stats

Shocking information that I came across while I researched statistics about this topic, just blew me away! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2013, 80% of people watch TV on any average given day, TV takes up half of our leisure time. Other leisure activities in this category included: exercising, socializing, playing a game, and reading. Television viewing increases as you age. Think about it - 50% of your leisure time spent on TV. The other 50% is broken down further into that exercising, socializing, and all those other pieces of a very small amount 20% of our waking hours are spent watching TV incredible. Then I decided to check out the book consumption per capita. In 2010, 21% of adults consumed 11 to 20 books in one year,

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

While you are listening to this podcast, I hope that you are taking the ideas you learn and you are implementing them into what you're doing so it can take you places to where you want to go. My ultimate gift is to have an e-mail from you letting me know how this podcast has helped you, how you're taking ideas and implementing them, whether it is in your leadership style, your business, or your organization or just how you live your life.

One thing I really want to hone in on the leaders being learners. Learning is not a one-time event. It is not about going to a seminar or conference and buying every package that might be sold or you or just attending and then just making it a social visit. Building relationships are very important but what I also need you to do is I need you to take away some of the things that you learn and start implementing them into who you are and what you do. It will change your practices. It will change your perspective of how you do things.

The reason why I want you to start being open to learning more and new information is because you become better today than you were yesterday. You will come up with better solutions. You will come up with new ideas to be implemented. Y might be saying to yourself, “I do not have a lot of time; I barely get to the gym, have supper, go to the kids soccer game.” I get it. I have three kids I am a busy lady too.

I know that learning is very important. Sometimes, I have the book stuck in my purse or by my bedside, even if it's 10-15 minutes a day, I am reading. I take a book to the doctor's office because there is downtime. Think about all the places you have downtime. There are other ways audios, the audio books, and podcasts like this one on Kindle or Kobos, going to conferences, workshops, reading the newspaper, or talking with others in the industry. There are lots of ways to learn and grow.

What I Have Learned About Leadership

One of the things I was learning more about leadership and in my own practices is that leaders are not afraid to show their gaps in their knowledge. They look for opportunities to learn how to handle situations better. They ask more questions they don't assume that they know everything. I know I don't, so I'm an insatiable learner. I am always trying to learn more information. As a leader, you could be willing to admit your mistakes and learn from them so that the people who follow you know that it's okay to do the same. It's about learning and growing. One of the biggest things that you can do that can make you more successful is to learn what motivates the people who work for you. How do you inspire them? How do you help them become a learner?

Shocking Stats

Shocking information that I came across while I researched statistics about this topic, just blew me away! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2013, 80% of people watch TV on any average given day, TV takes up half of our leisure time. Other leisure activities in this category included: exercising, socializing, playing a game, and reading. Television viewing increases as you age. Think about it - 50% of your leisure time spent on TV. The other 50% is broken down further into that exercising, socializing, and all those other pieces of a very small amount 20% of our waking hours are spent watching TV incredible. Then I decided to check out the book consumption per capita. In 2010, 21% of adults consumed 11 to 20 books in one year,

“The only thing that works is management by values. Find people who are competent and really bright, but more importantly, people who care about exactly about the same things you care about.” Steve Jobs, Apple, Inc.

What is Value Based Leadership?

When we are talking about value-based leadership, we are talking about having a leader who is aligned with organizational values and who we believe has the same values as us. Otherwise, we would not want to be working for the leader of that organization. There has to be that alignment. When we are looking at organizational cultures and different things, I want to reinforce to those of you listening to the podcast today, this is for entrepreneurs and business owners as much as it is for organizations. I believe that every single person no matter where they are in life is a leader and recognizing that we need to be able to operate from those core values.

When I think about core values, I think of a sliced apple where you can see the cross-section of it, where you see the seeds. The core values to me are those little seeds that help grow within a culture. They create a culture. They are not the culture but they are part of it. They enrich how the people behave within the organization and how they're delivering the vision through those values. In order to demonstrate this I am going to go through our vision, mission, and our why, and our core values at Debra Kasowski International.

One thing I want you to keep in mind is that values are not the operations, logistics, or about sales and marketing strategies; they go much deeper than a strategy. It is really about how you personify and make your company or your business really come alive.

Our vision at Debra Kasowski International is:

VISION

To be an internationally acclaimed and chosen authority in developing emotionally intelligent leaders by dramatically improving communication, decision making, interpersonal relationships, and the well-being of executives, business owners, their staff, and their families while contributing and impacting communities at large.

MISSION

To delivery easy to follow dynamic and interactive online and live training, coaching, speaking, podcasting, and books for leaders, executives, business owners, and entrepreneurs that create a powerful learning experience in personal professional growth to achieve epic results.

WHY

The world around us is moving faster and faster. People are being challenged with: doing more with less, struggling financially, an inability to tolerate stress and decision-making are becoming more complex. It is getting harder for people to set their priorities and to find the time to do everything they want to do. It does not matter if you are climbing the career ladder, managing a business, or growing a company, there seems to be inner conflict and competition with reaching life goals. Personal and professional relationships are being strained. Life balance seems to be a mystery. Through our mission, we want to change the way people do business and live their lives and so they can become their definition of success.

CORE VALUES

Community of Trust

Creating a nonjudgmental environment where people feel encouraged and supported

Respect for the Individual

Respect people for where they are, who they are, and who they have yet to become.

Commitment to Excellence

Provide exceptional quality and commit to continuous learning.

Integrity

Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

Responsible for Results

Taking 100% responsibility for the results we deliver.

Solution Focused

Focus on discovering positive solutions.

Unconditional Gratitude and Giving

Express gratitude for all things; without expecting anyth...

“The only thing that works is management by values. Find people who are competent and really bright, but more importantly, people who care about exactly about the same things you care about.” Steve Jobs, Apple, Inc.

What is Value Based Leadership?

When we are talking about value-based leadership, we are talking about having a leader who is aligned with organizational values and who we believe has the same values as us. Otherwise, we would not want to be working for the leader of that organization. There has to be that alignment. When we are looking at organizational cultures and different things, I want to reinforce to those of you listening to the podcast today, this is for entrepreneurs and business owners as much as it is for organizations. I believe that every single person no matter where they are in life is a leader and recognizing that we need to be able to operate from those core values.

When I think about core values, I think of a sliced apple where you can see the cross-section of it, where you see the seeds. The core values to me are those little seeds that help grow within a culture. They create a culture. They are not the culture but they are part of it. They enrich how the people behave within the organization and how they're delivering the vision through those values. In order to demonstrate this I am going to go through our vision, mission, and our why, and our core values at Debra Kasowski International.

One thing I want you to keep in mind is that values are not the operations, logistics, or about sales and marketing strategies; they go much deeper than a strategy. It is really about how you personify and make your company or your business really come alive.

Our vision at Debra Kasowski International is:

VISION

To be an internationally acclaimed and chosen authority in developing emotionally intelligent leaders by dramatically improving communication, decision making, interpersonal relationships, and the well-being of executives, business owners, their staff, and their families while contributing and impacting communities at large.

MISSION

To delivery easy to follow dynamic and interactive online and live training, coaching, speaking, podcasting, and books for leaders, executives, business owners, and entrepreneurs that create a powerful learning experience in personal professional growth to achieve epic results.

WHY

The world around us is moving faster and faster. People are being challenged with: doing more with less, struggling financially, an inability to tolerate stress and decision-making are becoming more complex. It is getting harder for people to set their priorities and to find the time to do everything they want to do. It does not matter if you are climbing the career ladder, managing a business, or growing a company, there seems to be inner conflict and competition with reaching life goals. Personal and professional relationships are being strained. Life balance seems to be a mystery. Through our mission, we want to change the way people do business and live their lives and so they can become their definition of success.

CORE VALUES

Community of Trust

Creating a nonjudgmental environment where people feel encouraged and supported

Respect for the Individual

Respect people for where they are, who they are, and who they have yet to become.

Commitment to Excellence

Provide exceptional quality and commit to continuous learning.

Integrity

Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

Responsible for Results

Taking 100% responsibility for the results we deliver.

Solution Focused

Focus on discovering positive solutions.

Unconditional Gratitude and Giving

Express gratitude for all things; without expecting anyth...

What is credibility? It is the quality of being believable or worthy of trust. The root of credibility is “credo” which means “I believe” in Latin. I was really excited about this because there is a local coffee shop called Credo so I had to go look at their vision and mission statement to see if there was something with the word believe in it. I found out it was Credo – coffee you can believe in so I knew they had done something with the Latin word of “credo”. I will start using this word more often as the word believe is powerful to me.

Trust is built on credibility and credibility comes from acting in others interests before your own. Steve Denny, Killing the Giants 

The reason I want to talk about credibility is to make sure everyone has an understanding of what credibility is. It walks hand in hand and side by side with trust. It is essential in any role. When you think of yourself and a customer if you are going to invest your time, money, or resources, would you want to invest in someone or an organization who delivers on their promises?

There are a lot of multi-facets when we think of credibility. There are a lot of things we want to think about. So if we are working with a sales person for instance you want them to be knowledgeable about their product. You start getting suspicious when it feels like they are omitting something or not sharing what they need to. The first thing a person usually thinks about when they think about a police officer is safety. An officer that is rude or condescending or not looking out for your best interest you start to question your safety. I have not come across this. In the movies, everything is glorified. There is often a suspicion of who is an officer and who is not – that is made for Hollywood.

It does not matter your position or role, credibility and trust are earned. It is not one thing; it is a combination of things really looking at a person’s core values. It is their character. When someone abides by their core values, they take 100% responsibility. (Listen is Episode 1 – Taking 100% Responsibility)

* The people who act and make decisions based on their core values. If they make a mistake, they own it – it all comes back to taking 100% responsibility. We see those people as credible.

* Someone’s expertise or their education, like a published author like myself, there is a sense of credibility. It is not always by title. Education and display of expertise on a subject matter that is also when you will see the credibility.

* Emotional intelligence is a topic I am fond of and certified in. When someone is able to convey their messages, focus on solutions when there are issues that arise, control their emotions in situations and able to recognize the emotions of others – that also makes someone more credible.

* The fact that someone shows up and behaves and even dresses professionally. When you go to see a surgeon or a physician of any kind, for example, they usually have a white coat and a stethoscope. If they showed up disheveled with their hair out of line or part of their shirt tucked in their pants and part untucked on the outside, and shoes were full of mud. Would you want them to be looking after your health? Thinking – it could be situational but who knows – you might start questioning whether or not you want that person taking care of you.

* A good communicator is someone who is consistent with their words and they stand by their promises. They stand by what they are going to deliver.

Where is credibility important? Basically, it is all the time. It impacts integrity as well.

What is credibility? It is the quality of being believable or worthy of trust. The root of credibility is “credo” which means “I believe” in Latin. I was really excited about this because there is a local coffee shop called Credo so I had to go look at their vision and mission statement to see if there was something with the word believe in it. I found out it was Credo – coffee you can believe in so I knew they had done something with the Latin word of “credo”. I will start using this word more often as the word believe is powerful to me.

Trust is built on credibility and credibility comes from acting in others interests before your own. Steve Denny, Killing the Giants 

The reason I want to talk about credibility is to make sure everyone has an understanding of what credibility is. It walks hand in hand and side by side with trust. It is essential in any role. When you think of yourself and a customer if you are going to invest your time, money, or resources, would you want to invest in someone or an organization who delivers on their promises?

There are a lot of multi-facets when we think of credibility. There are a lot of things we want to think about. So if we are working with a sales person for instance you want them to be knowledgeable about their product. You start getting suspicious when it feels like they are omitting something or not sharing what they need to. The first thing a person usually thinks about when they think about a police officer is safety. An officer that is rude or condescending or not looking out for your best interest you start to question your safety. I have not come across this. In the movies, everything is glorified. There is often a suspicion of who is an officer and who is not – that is made for Hollywood.

It does not matter your position or role, credibility and trust are earned. It is not one thing; it is a combination of things really looking at a person’s core values. It is their character. When someone abides by their core values, they take 100% responsibility. (Listen is Episode 1 – Taking 100% Responsibility)

* The people who act and make decisions based on their core values. If they make a mistake, they own it – it all comes back to taking 100% responsibility. We see those people as credible.

* Someone’s expertise or their education, like a published author like myself, there is a sense of credibility. It is not always by title. Education and display of expertise on a subject matter that is also when you will see the credibility.

* Emotional intelligence is a topic I am fond of and certified in. When someone is able to convey their messages, focus on solutions when there are issues that arise, control their emotions in situations and able to recognize the emotions of others – that also makes someone more credible.

* The fact that someone shows up and behaves and even dresses professionally. When you go to see a surgeon or a physician of any kind, for example, they usually have a white coat and a stethoscope. If they showed up disheveled with their hair out of line or part of their shirt tucked in their pants and part untucked on the outside, and shoes were full of mud. Would you want them to be looking after your health? Thinking – it could be situational but who knows – you might start questioning whether or not you want that person taking care of you.

* A good communicator is someone who is consistent with their words and they stand by their promises. They stand by what they are going to deliver.

Where is credibility important? Basically, it is all the time. It impacts integrity as well.

“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Brene Brown

Connecting with people is human nature; we are social beings. With technology, you would think we would be more connected than ever but the opposite is true. People feel disconnected because they are missing the human connection.

Research shows that if you want to make a good first impression it is best to make it in person. Once a person makes the first impression it is often difficult to change it but we need to be careful “not to judge a book by its cover”, they could be your best client. You want to be open and test the reality of your impression by asking thoughtful questions and getting to know the person better. These impressions are often made in 3 seconds and 7 seconds online.

I remember a sales person sharing a story with me about a time when a person dressed in dirty work clothes came into their furniture store right before closing – 20-30 minutes before. Most of the sales people avoided eye contact with the person but he was curious about this person who just came into the store. This individual wanted to furnish his whole house and used this salesman to do it. Imagine his commission – all because her withheld or did not let his judgment influence him.

How do you make a human connection?

* Start with being yourself.

* Be Open.

* Be Confident in Who You Are.

* Smile – it’s FREE and a universal language!

* Project a Positive Attitude!

* Start with small talk and learn more.

Ask questions such as:

* Do you have a pet?

* Do you have children?

* Are you married?

* Where did you go on your last vacation?

* What book are you currently reading?

Take an interest in who people are. Be genuinely curious!  There is a saying, “People want to know how much you care before they want to know how much you know!”

Make it about them!

Build relationships that are win-win without going straight to selling your product or service.

“If your focus is the immediate sale, you’re going to miss a lot of future opportunities.” – Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI, Business Network International

Learn about the people you connect with. What are their hobbies or interests? What are their personal goals?

Discover common interests – ways you can relate to one another.

Focus on what you can do for them. Introduce them to people they need to know – BE a CONNECTOR.

Connectors are influencers – whatever you put out into the world you will receive back.

Invite clients to be a part of your circle or community by inviting them to lunch or business mixers. Mail handwritten notes of gratitude or warm letters letting them know what you have been up to. Invite them to educational workshops. Email or send them an article that might be of interest to them.

I remember listening to Sandra Yancey, the Founder of eWomen Network share that when she was a little girl her mother told her to remember, “Give without remembering and take without forgetting.”

We need to find time to connect in our busy schedules. When we do connect – we need to actively listen and be present in the conversation.

Truly listen…

Hold back from jumping into the conversation before the other person stops speaking. It’s okay to wait for a pause. Think and then talk.

When I was in my coach training, we had an acronym – W.A.I.T. – Why Am I Talking?

Listen – you will learn so much more!

“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Brene Brown

Connecting with people is human nature; we are social beings. With technology, you would think we would be more connected than ever but the opposite is true. People feel disconnected because they are missing the human connection.

Research shows that if you want to make a good first impression it is best to make it in person. Once a person makes the first impression it is often difficult to change it but we need to be careful “not to judge a book by its cover”, they could be your best client. You want to be open and test the reality of your impression by asking thoughtful questions and getting to know the person better. These impressions are often made in 3 seconds and 7 seconds online.

I remember a sales person sharing a story with me about a time when a person dressed in dirty work clothes came into their furniture store right before closing – 20-30 minutes before. Most of the sales people avoided eye contact with the person but he was curious about this person who just came into the store. This individual wanted to furnish his whole house and used this salesman to do it. Imagine his commission – all because her withheld or did not let his judgment influence him.

How do you make a human connection?

* Start with being yourself.

* Be Open.

* Be Confident in Who You Are.

* Smile – it’s FREE and a universal language!

* Project a Positive Attitude!

* Start with small talk and learn more.

Ask questions such as:

* Do you have a pet?

* Do you have children?

* Are you married?

* Where did you go on your last vacation?

* What book are you currently reading?

Take an interest in who people are. Be genuinely curious!  There is a saying, “People want to know how much you care before they want to know how much you know!”

Make it about them!

Build relationships that are win-win without going straight to selling your product or service.

“If your focus is the immediate sale, you’re going to miss a lot of future opportunities.” – Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI, Business Network International

Learn about the people you connect with. What are their hobbies or interests? What are their personal goals?

Discover common interests – ways you can relate to one another.

Focus on what you can do for them. Introduce them to people they need to know – BE a CONNECTOR.

Connectors are influencers – whatever you put out into the world you will receive back.

Invite clients to be a part of your circle or community by inviting them to lunch or business mixers. Mail handwritten notes of gratitude or warm letters letting them know what you have been up to. Invite them to educational workshops. Email or send them an article that might be of interest to them.

I remember listening to Sandra Yancey, the Founder of eWomen Network share that when she was a little girl her mother told her to remember, “Give without remembering and take without forgetting.”

We need to find time to connect in our busy schedules. When we do connect – we need to actively listen and be present in the conversation.

Truly listen…

Hold back from jumping into the conversation before the other person stops speaking. It’s okay to wait for a pause. Think and then talk.

When I was in my coach training, we had an acronym – W.A.I.T. – Why Am I Talking?

Listen – you will learn so much more!

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee

Productivity and performance can be a total game changer. We all have the same 24 hours in a day but some people seem to get more accomplished than others and others say, “I don’t get it. How do you get to do all that?” The secret lies in the sauce.

Boost productivity and performance is about blocking time. We cannot make more time. We all have the same amount of time but how do we structure the time that we have. How are we using it more effectively?

I have an awesome downloadable – Infographic for you!

DOWNLOAD HERE

There are many Time Tracking logs or apps out there. I have used time tracking for those people who claim that they are “so busy” and we hear people use the buzz word “busy”. I do make the attempt to track my time anytime I catch myself saying that I am busy. Busy is that buzz word but it is almost like an excuse for people not doing things. It is actually saying, “I do not want to do that” or “That’s not important to me.”

When you start tracking your time, you can start seeing where you are spending your time. You can do the same exercise by tracking the amount of water you drink, the workouts you want to have, or anywhere you want to make a change. If you start tracking it, anything that you track you are able to manage better. Start tracking your time for 3-7 days to see where you are actually spending your time and then you can adjust accordingly.

One of the great things I like to recommend to people is scheduling 30 minutes in the morning to start to plan your day and another 30 minutes at the end of the day to review and plan for the next day. You will be forward thinking, you are making the plan, and have an intended direction of where you want your day to go.

Make a list of all your priorities. What are the A-game changers where you are going to have the greatest return on your investment? This is where you need to be focusing your time. Focus on your priorities first.

Set office hours to eliminate distractions and interruptions. It is so easy for people to pop by and say you are working at home today or you don’t have office hours I can just pop in and have a casual chat. If you are in the middle of working on something important that you have a deadline, these interruptions can really suck some of the time that you have. Consider that when you are working on a big project there may be a time of the day where you just need to close your door.

Turn off notifications and email alerts on your smartphone and computer. BING! Every time you see one of those, it is a bright shiny object! BING! BING! BING! Or SQUIRREL – anything that takes you attention to a different place!

Block out time on your calendar to focus on high priority tasks. Block off dedicated time. Use a timer. You would be surprised how much you can accomplish in 20 minutes when you are trying to beat a clock.

Develop a system for managing information such as paper and emails so you only deal with it once if possible. Consider creating folder or filters to help sort emails. Do not hang on to emails that do not require a reply or that you can get the information somewhere else.

Delegate to others who have the knowledge, skills, and ability to get a task done so you can focus on high priority tasks requiring your expertise. I know sometimes we like to be in control and be the boss. If you want to be a smart boss you need to delegate some of that out.

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee

Productivity and performance can be a total game changer. We all have the same 24 hours in a day but some people seem to get more accomplished than others and others say, “I don’t get it. How do you get to do all that?” The secret lies in the sauce.

Boost productivity and performance is about blocking time. We cannot make more time. We all have the same amount of time but how do we structure the time that we have. How are we using it more effectively?

I have an awesome downloadable – Infographic for you!

DOWNLOAD HERE

There are many Time Tracking logs or apps out there. I have used time tracking for those people who claim that they are “so busy” and we hear people use the buzz word “busy”. I do make the attempt to track my time anytime I catch myself saying that I am busy. Busy is that buzz word but it is almost like an excuse for people not doing things. It is actually saying, “I do not want to do that” or “That’s not important to me.”

When you start tracking your time, you can start seeing where you are spending your time. You can do the same exercise by tracking the amount of water you drink, the workouts you want to have, or anywhere you want to make a change. If you start tracking it, anything that you track you are able to manage better. Start tracking your time for 3-7 days to see where you are actually spending your time and then you can adjust accordingly.

One of the great things I like to recommend to people is scheduling 30 minutes in the morning to start to plan your day and another 30 minutes at the end of the day to review and plan for the next day. You will be forward thinking, you are making the plan, and have an intended direction of where you want your day to go.

Make a list of all your priorities. What are the A-game changers where you are going to have the greatest return on your investment? This is where you need to be focusing your time. Focus on your priorities first.

Set office hours to eliminate distractions and interruptions. It is so easy for people to pop by and say you are working at home today or you don’t have office hours I can just pop in and have a casual chat. If you are in the middle of working on something important that you have a deadline, these interruptions can really suck some of the time that you have. Consider that when you are working on a big project there may be a time of the day where you just need to close your door.

Turn off notifications and email alerts on your smartphone and computer. BING! Every time you see one of those, it is a bright shiny object! BING! BING! BING! Or SQUIRREL – anything that takes you attention to a different place!

Block out time on your calendar to focus on high priority tasks. Block off dedicated time. Use a timer. You would be surprised how much you can accomplish in 20 minutes when you are trying to beat a clock.

Develop a system for managing information such as paper and emails so you only deal with it once if possible. Consider creating folder or filters to help sort emails. Do not hang on to emails that do not require a reply or that you can get the information somewhere else.

Delegate to others who have the knowledge, skills, and ability to get a task done so you can focus on high priority tasks requiring your expertise. I know sometimes we like to be in control and be the boss. If you want to be a smart boss you need to delegate some of that out.