You most valuable commodity is your time. As a leader, you must manage it well, and work on the highest value activites you can. If your desk is in a place where anybody can come along and distract you and claim a piece of your time anytime they want, you’re not going to have control over your time and be able to focus on things that require thought for more than a minute or two.
I find it’s best to have several work spaces – one in a “public” setting among employees, and another sactuary where you go for quiet time. I have a big bag to shuttle work back and forth. This way you don’t have to be rude to employees asking to be left alone, yet still have your most productive quiet space.
How does your work space work for your time management?