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So I have been spending some time researching the Industrial Age and its revolutionary approaches. Now that we are just getting out of the Information Age and into the Conceptual Age, I thought I’d blog a little bit about a gentleman by the name of Henry J. Kaiser, an American industrialist who knew that it’s all in how react to trouble that really matters.

While trouble my seen more innocuous than failure, a leader may look at them in the same light. But just like failure, you can’t have success without some trouble along the way.

We witness sports teams deal with trouble, or inconveniences, all season long. The Boston Red Sox (but for the record…I am a Detroit Tigers fan) had their share of trouble in the 2007 season. One of their star players, Manny Ramirez, was sidelined with a muscle injury for about three weeks during the summer. A young player by the name of Jacoby Ellsbury, was brought up from a minor league team to play while Ramirez recovered. Ellsbury proved to be such a good player that the manager, Terry Francona, found a way to keep him in the line-up even after Ramirez returned from his injury. Ellsbury went on to play throughout the rest of the season, which culminated in a World Series Championship for the Red Sox.

For leaders, trouble may come in the form of a manufacturing glitch, an unexpected time delay, or an act of God like a fire or flood…or perhaps a disgruntled employee. The key to your success will be how you deal with these inconveniences. For example, use the manufacturing glitch as a chance to strengthen your relationship with your key manufacturer or to find a new manufacturer.

Show your business acumen by responding well to so-called “trouble.”