Every businessperson has a story about a time they paid a price for not addressing the root causes of a problem. Some of these stories involve a decision to put up with a non-achieving salesperson for years knowing they’re never going to make it, rather than pulling the trigger and letting him or her go. Others involve leaders who remain rigid in their business-as-usual approach despite rapidly thinning margins caused by the commoditization of their product or service.

In light of the looming “fiscal cliff,” such anecdotes support the widespread belief that pushing through a quick, temporary fix, rather than reaching a long-term solution is not answer. Unfortunately for us, it takes only a quick look at recent history to see that Congress and the White House have been indecisive and playing for time—kicking the can down the road—instead of addressing the root causes of the financial crisis.

While I don’t claim to know which road steers our country away from the fiscal cliff (nor do I own the parachute that guides us safely down should we tumble over), I can say with absolute certainty that this saga is a dramatic example of very poor leadership.

As leadership coaches and advisers, we often watch as organizations opt to kick the can down the road to buy more time or wait for it to become someone else’s problem, rather than making a timely decision that might hurt a little in the short-term, but will pay dividends down the road.

Most business leaders have employed “kick the can down the road” leadership at one point in time. Here are some all too common examples: Read more