- It looks clean and gives a good impression to visitors
- It increases security and confidentiality since such documents are not flying around on the desk
- I believe that it increases productivity
- In allows introducing a hot desk system

Important people might more often have a clean desk because of receiving more guests and being very productive might have been one aspect of becoming important.

I don’t agree that they can push more paper down. Important people have to read a lot of stuff and also receive a lot of material from their subordinates.

If you want to learn what is necessary to maintain a clean desk you can read more on my blog:

http://memytime.wordpress.com/category/at-work/clean-desk-at-work-time-management/

Author Dr. Ed Hallowell, ‘Driven to Distraction’; ‘Delivered from Distraction’, is one that has mentioned it more than once.

As soon as I first saw that picture of Al Gore, I said to myself “He’s ADD”. I’m sure Richard Branson, amongst others, is the same. ADD’ers, in many cases, are also DOERS, but usually have someone to keep them organized, hence the clean desks.

I guess Tipper Gore gave up trying!

Also Gore’s isn’t particularly conservative on his energy use. His house uses about 12 times as much energy as an average home. Hopefully it isn’t all from those monitors. :)

@Stuart – Do you know of the President’s of any large countries or CEOs of Fortune 100 companies who have extremely messy desks? I don’t, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Who do you have in mind as an example.

@Chris – True, but I think sometimes the top positions come with a support infrastructure that keeps things tidy regardless of how mess the person actually is.