Napoleon Hill, one of my favorite authors, devoted 20 years of his life to studying what made people successful. His mentor, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, helped Hill by introducing him to some of the most successful people in business, including Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Schwab, George Eastman, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, Clarence Darrow and many others.

What Hill discovered is that all these individuals realized the importance of surrounding themselves with people smarter than they were.

I couldn't agree more. All of us together are a lot smarter than any one of us. Which leads to some of the best career advice I can give you: Networking is a skill you must develop.

If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I've met over a lifetime, I'd say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts. A network replaces the weakness of the individual with the strength of your network. You don't have to know everything as long as you know the people who do.

A network can enrich your life. It can help you help others. A network improves your job security. If you build a network, you will have a bridge to wherever you want to go. So if you are ever up the proverbial creek, with a network you will always have a paddle.

Just remember, the more you exercise your networking muscles, the stronger they get and the easier networking becomes.

What other career advice can you benefit from?

You can't forget the most important five-letter word in business -- TRUST. How about integrity, reputation and treating everyone with respect? I might add that you have to continue your education, because you should be in school all your life. I've written extensively about all these topics, and will continue to hammer them home because they are the difference between a job and a successful career.

And because I follow my own advice and continually study the brilliant thoughts of others, I'll share words of wisdom from some of the world's most successful people:

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.: "When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: 'If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.' It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'no' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."

Michael Dell, founder of Dell Inc.: "Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people, or find a different room."

J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels: "Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged."

Carlos Slim Helu, telecommunications magnate who is considered the world's richest person: "I don't want to live thinking about how I'll be remembered."

Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway: "I don't look to jump over 7-foot bars. I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over."

Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook: "If we want to have the biggest impact, the best way to do this is to make sure we always focus on solving the most important problems."

Cathie Black, former president of Hearst Magazines: "Most people see taking risks as opening themselves up to unnecessary, maybe even dangerous chances. But the truth is, avoiding risks won't keep you safe, nor will it guarantee a smooth ride at work or in life."

Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin Group: "My mother always taught me never to look back in regret but to move on to the next thing. The amount of time people waste dwelling on failures rather than putting that energy into another project, always amazes me. ... A setback is never a bad experience, just a learning curve."

Mackay's Moral: They say a word to the wise is sufficient, but I say a word from the wise is a gift!

One of life's great annoyances is the tendency of folks to ask you to perform an impossible task, list the issues they foresee and the problems that have plagued previous attempts -- and then admonish you to "think positive."

Wow! Does that mean you are so good that you can achieve what no one else has? Or are you being set up to fail?

Because I am an eternal optimist, I prefer to believe the first premise. Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better. I think that good attitudes are contagious. I want to start an epidemic!

A friend who also prefers to look for the silver lining suggested I Google "The Positive Pledge" by author and inspirational speaker Jon Gordon. Several promises stand out among the 15 in the pledge, including:

-- I pledge to be a positive person and positive influence on my family, friends, co-workers and community.

-- I vow to stay positive in the face of negativity.

-- When I want to be bitter, I will choose to get better.

-- When I meet failure, I will fail forward, toward future success.

-- I believe my best days are ahead of me, not behind me.

The full pledge is a terrific framework for a positive attitude because we know that positive thinking isn't always easy. Negative thoughts can creep into our minds -- and jump out our mouths -- when we least expect them. The trick isn't to fight them, but to manage them so they don't paralyze us.

Identify the triggers. When you have a negative thought ("This will never work ... I can't do this"), stop and ask yourself what's bringing it on. You may be tired or stressed out, or you may be affected by someone else's perspective. If you can locate the cause, the thought itself won't have as much power over you.

Focus on the now. Worrying about the past or the future isn't productive. When you start chastising yourself for past mistakes, or seeing disaster around every corner, stop and take a breath and ask yourself what you can do right now to succeed. Find something to distract you from destructive thoughts and reset your attitude.

Replace the negative. If you find yourself plagued by a recurrent worry, train yourself to think of something else. Memorize a short poem, phrase or meditation, and when you catch yourself in a negative thought, replace the negative with the positive. Your conscious mind can concentrate on only one thought at a time, and driving the negativity away will free you up to move forward again.

Years ago, I came across an essay that really solidified my commitment to positive thinking. It has been credited to several people, most often Robert J. Burdette or the ubiquitous "unknown." Regardless of who authored it, here is the message for you to contemplate:

"There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept from fear and apprehension.

"One of these days is Yesterday with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.

"The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.

"This leaves only one day -- Today. Anyone can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities -- Yesterday and Tomorrow -- that we break down.

"It is not the experience of Today that drives men mad. It is remorse or bitterness for something that happened Yesterday and the dread of what will happen Tomorrow."

That's a difficult formula to improve upon, and perhaps even more challenging to practice. But I promise you, I'm positive you will be better off for trying!

Mackay's Moral: A positive attitude lightens your load and expands your reach.

I have felt all my life that good judgment is a critically important skill for any person to have, but especially so for those in leadership positions. Good judgment is such an important attribute that it is often listed first by employers as required qualities of job applicants.

We can easily name examples of bad judgment: drug use, lax financial management, questionable choice of friends and so on. And bad judgment usually leads to bad outcomes.

In business, the success or failure of the organization hinges on judgments made at all levels. Poor judgment has led to some epic failures over the years. For instance, how about these memorable judgment calls:

"Everything that can be invented has been invented," said Charles H. Duell, commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office, in 1899.

"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau," said Irving Fisher, professor of economics at Yale University, in 1929.

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper," said Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With the Wind."

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out," said an executive at Decca Recording Co. in rejecting The Beatles in 1962.

So what is good judgment?

That's a tough question. Good judgment is the ability to make the best decision possible based on the information you have, without being swayed by others or by predetermined ideas.

A newsletter from PineCone Research offers a roadmap for improving decision-making skills:

What kind of a decision-maker are you? If you don't know, you should take a few minutes to contemplate the question because once you become aware of how you make (or don't make) decisions, you will be more apt to make wiser choices in the future.

Most people have their own way of handling decision-making. Here are a few of the more common approaches:

-- Snap decision-makers. Often people rely on gut instincts when they make quick decisions. While this can work well for some people, it's not always the best way for others. This is because some snap decision-makers make choices based on fear or discomfort with the decision-making process. They just want to get the whole thing over with, so they choose quickly without weighing options and without relying on trusted instincts. Attention should be focused on whether you are making your decisions quickly for good or bad reasons.

-- Serious option-weigher. While people who make decisions this way are often admired for the careful attention they give to the process, beware of those who practice serious option-weighing to a debilitating extreme. These decision-makers put so much time into weighing every detail of every option that they often get lost along the way, and find it difficult to ever come up with a decision they are happy with. Serious consideration is a good thing in most cases, but be careful not to waste time and energy on unnecessary details.

-- The flip-flopper. This might seem like the person has weighed each option and made a firm decision, but often, after a few minutes, days or even weeks, the person shifts his or her thinking entirely on the matter. These decision-makers usually have a problem with committing themselves to the possible outcomes of their decisions, so fear drives them to make changes in quick succession.

In a piece called "Decision Making for Giants and Elves" on the Practical Success Solutions website, Malcolm Harvey recommends a four-step process in order to avoid making poorly thought out or ego-based decisions. Here they are:

1. Make a decision. You have to face that in decision-making there are consequences -- and then make the decision to face those consequences.

2. Make your own decisions. Don't go to others to make your decisions for you. Take responsibility for what you decide.

3. Work toward fruition. Once you've made your decision, then work tirelessly toward the end you would like to see. Focus on detail and practice patience.

4. Stick with it. Don't let your doubts torment you. You've made your decision; you've taken action and responsibility. You will likely make mistakes along the way. When you do, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and reassess the situation.

Mackay's Moral: Mark Twain said, "Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."