No one likes problems. Everyone has them. That’s the problem.

The realm of a leader exists in two areas – opportunities and problems – though the reality is that very often the best opportunities arise from the ashes of problems.

So how do you deal with these “problems”?

Plan for them.

They WILL come. Plan accordingly. For every Plan A, be sure you have a Plan B…and a crisis management plan as well. One key to being successful in business is to anticipate the problems of your potential clients and be the person with the plan to resolve them.

Rest in the midst of them.

Find ways to restore and maintain energy, even in the midst of challenging times. As a leader, you cannot afford to make the kinds of mistakes that come with extreme fatigue.

Organize them.

When faced with many challenges at once, a leader must be able to sort them according to priority and attack them in an orderly fashion. Learn the art of triage.

Be aware of them.

One of the biggest tragedies is a leader who doesn’t have a clue what the problems are within the organization. This is only overshadowed by the apathetic one who knows but doesn’t care enough to act with resolution. Don’t be that kind of leader.

Learn from them.

Failure is a powerful learning tool. Analyze. Use what you learn to make things better. This is why we have light bulbs today.

Engage your team to resolve them.

Tap into the power of your team to come up with resolutions. The results can be amazing.

Make the best of them.

And move on. Focus, not on the problem, but on the opportunity and the resolution.