The question really isn’t whether it’s good or bad. The question is WHEN is duct tape leadership the best option. The answer lies in a leadership lesson I learned from Craig Groeschel at a Global Leadership Summit. He introduced us to the acrostic – GETMO. This acronym stood for:
G – Good
E – Enough
T – To
M – Move
O – On
The question when pondering whether duct tape leadership is the best choice is to answer two questions.
Is GOOD, good enough?
Do you need to move on to more important tasks?
When you need GREAT, it’s worth the investment of time to strategize, analyze, and discern the best path forward. Moving on may be most efficient in the moment, but saving time now and cost you in the future.
There are, however, times when good is the best option. Spending an exorbitant amount of time on a decision that is more about preference than performance, may indeed be a waste of time. In this instance, a duct tape solution may be the way to go.
Here are some questions to ponder as you make this decision.
- Is this a temporary fix while a longer solution is underway?
- What are the risks if the tape falls off? In other words, what if this doesn’t work?
- Will it be obvious to stakeholders that we selected a quick, easy, and efficient solution?
- Is the problem we are addressing critical to long-term success or are simply creating a quick fix to bridge the gap between the immediate problem and a sustainable future?
- Would a quick fix actually buy us valuable time in order to address underlying issues without shutting down our entire operation?
- Duct tape is not intended to be a permanent fix. Are we prepared to continue to “reapply the tape”? Or, do we need to invest time into developing a response that will be transformational for our organization?
The bottom line is there are times when a quick and easy solution is the right choice to keep your team or organization moving. However, Transformational leadership most often requires a more thoughtful response.
When we opt for easy fixes, we risk diminishing rather than raising our value. We want to provide solutions that add or create value rather than applying easy fixes that cost more in the long run.
Being a transformational leader is knowing when a duct tape solution isn’t the best option.