Two of the three engineers that I work with regularly will not allow anyone to knock on their office door. If it is open, you're welcome to come in and ask them a question. But when it is closed, they are architecting systems and solving huge problems with design, and they refuse to let anyone else disturb that process unless it is an emergency. And if you do ask them a question or even make a comment when they're focused on programming, it takes a while for them to "surface" to answer you.
The reason I point this out is that I've become very aware that a lot of the traits that make someone excellent at their job are the very same traits that annoy teachers and make kids feel inadequate in school.
My guess is that it's a sign that you aren't showing "leadership".
Excuse me? I'd say you were assuming an awful lot about my leadership skills or lack thereof based on two paragraphs I wrote about people that I don't even manage manage.
These engineers own their own company and are very successful. They are not my employees; I only consult with them as a client with my own company but do know them all personally and as such am privy to their personal work styles.
The point I was hoping to make is that hyper focus is not a bad thing. You're certainly welcome to assume whatever you'd like.
