Twenty-five hundred years ago, a new Chinese emperor took the throne of the Middle Kingdom. Because he was only 18, he called upon the court's wisest adviser.

"O learned sage, O venerable counselor," said the young emperor, "you advised my grandfather the emperor for many years. What is the single most important advice you can give me now for ruling my kingdom?"

And the adviser, the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius, replied, "First, you must define the problem."

Certainly sage advice -- except most of us don't have a Confucius to consult. But we can learn plenty from studying the advice of top CEOs and business leaders.

For example, Anne Mulcahy, former chairman and CEO of Xerox, was asked by Fortune magazine for the best advice she had ever received in business. She said it occurred at a breakfast meeting in Dallas, to which she had invited a group of business leaders.

One of them, a plainspoken, self-made, streetwise guy, came up to Mulcahy and said: "When everything gets really complicated and you feel overwhelmed, think about it this way. You gotta do three things. First, get the cow out of the ditch. Second, find out how the cow got into the ditch. Third, make sure you do whatever it takes so the cow doesn't go into the ditch again."

What a great management tip because when you break it down, it covers just about every situation. I'd like to share some other gems with you that will help you "define the problem."

-- Make your calendar your best friend. As soon as you book an appointment or meeting, choose an appropriate date to prepare for it, and prepare a to-do list for that day. Allow sufficient time to gather and review all the information and material you might need. Take time to prepare so you don't have to waste time in despair!

-- Don't waste precious time fretting about things over which you have no control. Although taking control of the details and tasks in your life is essential to becoming an effective priority manager, there are things that occasionally pop up over which you have little or no control. When that happens, don't fight it; just do them and get them over with.

-- Manage the function, not the paperwork. Remember that your job is to manage a specific function within the company. There might be a lot of paperwork that goes with the job, but don't let that distract you from your real responsibility.

-- Get out of your office. Management By Walking Around (MBWA) does work. You make yourself more approachable. You get information first-hand. You find out what's really happening. The auto pioneer Henry Ford was once asked why he made a habit of visiting his executives when problems arose, rather than inviting them to his own office. "I go to them to save time," Ford explained, "and besides, I've found I can leave their office a lot quicker than I can get them to leave mine."

-- Delegate the easy stuff. The things you do well are the things to delegate. Hold on to those tasks that are challenging and difficult. That is how you will grow.

-- Don't get caught up in "looking good." Appearances can be deceiving. Don't try to act big, don't exclude rank-and-file employees, and don't think you know it all. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest.

-- Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

-- Open your ears and close your mouth. Listen to the people around you. Your associates, your employees, your suppliers and your customers all have something of value in what they have to say. You will never learn what it is if you drown them out by talking all the time. Remember, the only thing that can come out of your mouth is something you already know. Shut up and learn.

-- Practice what you preach. To lead, you have to lead by example. Don't expect your people to work unpaid overtime if you leave early every day. Don't book yourself into a four-star hotel on business trips and expect your employees to stay in the motel off the freeway.

Mackay's Moral: When you manage to define the problem, you begin to manage.

"Pushing the envelope" is a phrase that originated with American test pilots like Chuck Yaeger and John Glenn in the 1940s. It described maximum stress situations for the metal skin ("envelope") of a jet aircraft. In other words, the plane was designed to fly safely up to a certain speed for a certain distance at a certain altitude.

The job of test pilots was to "push the envelope" by making the plane go faster, farther and higher. The term "pushing the envelope" came into popular parlance in the blockbuster 1979 book and 1983 movie "The Right Stuff."

Naturally, this phrase is near and dear to me. On my business card, my title is "Envelope Salesman." So literally, I am pushing the envelope every day!

Beyond that, "pushing the envelope" means pushing the boundaries and pushing yourself to be better, faster and smarter and to get the results you want, in business and in life. I can assure you that as times and businesses change, I have had to make many adjustments to keep our company functioning and prospering. It's about determination and risk taking -- going above what your customers expect and trying new things that will put you outside of your comfort zone.

Most people go for safety and security when planning and living their lives. There are certain lines they won't cross. Many life-changing, transforming and worthwhile decisions are outside their comfort zone and require risk, which prevents them from trying anything new.

When you study truly successful people, you'll see that they all saw opportunities, took risks and made plenty of mistakes, but when they were knocked down, they kept getting up ... and up ... and up. They owe their success to their willingness to accept change as inevitable and welcome the challenge.

Determined people possess the stamina and courage to pursue their ambitions despite criticism, ridicule or unfavorable circumstances. In fact, discouragement usually spurs them on to greater things. When they get discouraged, they recognize that in order to achieve different results, some change is in order.

At 211 degrees, water is hot. One small change -- one more degree -- and it boils, turning into steam. And steam can power a locomotive. That small change of one more degree makes all the difference. That one extra degree in business and in life separates the good from the great. It's your life. You are responsible for your results. Never be afraid to turn up the heat.

A little book, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," swept America in 1970, selling more than 7 million copies, but not before being turned down by 18 publishers first.

Richard Bach wrote the 10,000-word story about a seagull that refuses to join with those in his flock that are only interested in scavenging savagely for food. Instead, Jonathan Livingston Seagull wants to fly and soar to heights none of his kind could even imagine.

Most seagulls learn only how to get from shore to food and back again. But Jonathan kept going off by himself, flying higher and higher, until he finally was able to reach 8,000 feet, far higher than any other seagull had ever flown. He even learned to fly at night, something seagulls never do.

Jonathan would go into dives straight down -- reaching the incredible speed of 214 miles per hour. He taught himself to do the loop, the slow roll, the snap roll, the point roll, the inverted spin and the pinwheel! Every day he kept learning new ways to fly that stimulated and nourished his soul.

Although initially rejected by his flock for his unorthodox approach to life, Jonathan eventually became a hero of wisdom and renown. Younger seagulls flocked to Jonathan to learn his flying secrets.

The lesson of this little book is the necessity to risk some things in life and, above all, to keep on learning. There are few prizes for following the flock.

No doubt about it, taking chances and making changes can be daunting. But consider the alternative. If you aren't content with the status quo, you have no choice but to change the way you are operating.

After all, it is the continued search for excellence and devotion to learning that is the true secret of professional accomplishment and personal happiness.

Mackay's Moral: To get what you've never had, you must do what you've never done.

The atmosphere was beyond electric: 18,000 cheering teenagers, and it wasn't for a rock star, a pro athlete or even a school cancellation. This remarkable group of students gathered in St. Paul, Minn., for We Day in early October to be recognized for their stellar record of volunteering. And this was only one of more than a dozen such gatherings across North America.

We Day is described as a celebration of the power of young Americans to create positive and lasting change, not only in their communities and around the world, but within themselves.

No one could attend without an invitation. Participants had to earn their spots, and were rewarded with inspirational stories and star-studded performances. To qualify, each attendee had to have engaged in one international and one local cause. And they took home plenty of ideas for new projects.

Madeline Titus, a junior from St. Cloud, Minn., has attended several We Days. Her enthusiasm is evident. She said, "It's hard to describe the day. I've never experienced anything like it. It's like 18,000 teenagers screaming, not for Justin Bieber, but for something that actually matters. It's one of those times you get goosebumps all over your arms." Madeline was featured in a local magazine for her part in the creation of an anti-bullying workshop and her volunteer work at a nursing home.

We Day was started in Canada in 2007 by a non-profit, Free the Children. That organization was founded in 1995 by Craig and Marc Kielburger and 10 fellow seventh-graders who were inspired by the story of a 12-year-old Pakistani child slave. Their mission was to free children overseas from exploitation and poverty.

They were not deterred from achieving their goal, even when the international charities they contacted could offer them no advice on how young people could get involved. They were determined to prove that kids could make a difference. They decided to start by encouraging kids to take action on issues that mattered to them. The movement now includes 2.3 million energetic young people who want to make a difference at home and around the world.

Their newest initiative is a year of action dubbed "We Act," a free program designed to inspire and enhance a school's service learning initiatives. Free the Children offers lesson plans, campaign kits, online resources and mentorship to students and teachers. Participation in these programs may also earn them a ticket into We Day.

"Just as 'Glee' made singing cool in school, the We Act program and its student leaders promise to make philanthropy cool and weave it into the DNA of high school culture," said Dean Phillips, co-chair of We Day Minnesota.

Hutton Phillips, Dean's sister and We Day Minnesota co-chair, added, "With We Day, We Act and programs like it, our generation is so impacted -- we are inspired to volunteer, vote, give -- we are inspired to live 'me' to 'we.'"

A major initiative in helping children transform their lives is a focus on education. Free the Children believes that education allows learners to become leaders, and gain the tools to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty. The goal is to build 200 schools in developing communities around the world. Visit their website, freethechildren.com, to learn more about these programs.

My good friend Marilyn Carlson Nelson, former CEO and chairman of the worldwide conglomerate Carlson Inc., spoke at the event, and hasn't stopped gushing about the enthusiasm and commitment she witnessed. Marilyn was a shining example as a speaker, given her storied record of volunteerism and community and global involvement. She shared these words: "This is my message to both you girls and you guys -- you can make your dreams come true, and I'll give you one secret to making that happen. Write down your goals and work every day to achieve them, and when you meet one goal, check it off and write a new one. Believe in yourself and never stop believing in yourself. We believe in you, and that's why we are all here.

"Our company and our family foundation have a credo and it goes like this:

"Whatever you do, do with integrity.

"Wherever you go, go as a leader.

"Whomever you serve, serve with caring.

"Whenever you dream, dream with your all and never, ever give up!"

Mackay's Moral: These students know how to take care of business "from me to we."