KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD will come back to haunt CEOs, because 90% of the time, it is because a CEO is emotionally disinclined to confront that issue. This usually arises when a board member, or staff member, brings up a thorny issue to the CEO. By deferring the pesky decision, the person who brought up the issue becomes increasingly frustrated, and more often than not, the problem becomes more complex. Lesson? Nip it in the bud.