You have probably heard the term, "She is a class act." Of course, it's always a compliment. But exactly what does that mean?

Class is easy to recognize but much harder to define. Similarly, the absence of class is easy to detect -- and a serious flaw for anyone who aspires to be successful.

First of all, class is not an "act." It's a deep-seated way of life for those who possess it. Having class involves good manners, politeness, pride without showboating, empathy, humility and an abundance of self-control. The actions of classy people speak louder than their words. You can see it in their body language and the way they carry themselves. Class always shows without being announced.

People can tell if you have class by the way you interact with others. If you have class, you don't need much of anything else to be a winner. If you don't have it, no matter what you do, it won't make up the difference. Money, notoriety or success by themselves won't give you class. Class comes from within, not from external sources.

As an explanation, I've created an acronym of what it means to be a class act:

-- C is for calm, courteous and in control. People who have class carry themselves in a certain way. They stay calm under pressure and don't lose their temper. They are respectful and use good manners. They don't use crude language or criticize or complain in public. They don't interrupt others.

-- L is for living by high standards. Class acts set goals in both their career and personal life. They are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone and push themselves beyond their limits to see how successful they can become.

-- A is for above it all. Class acts take the high road and refuse to stoop to the level of their adversaries. They don't have to apologize for their unfortunate words because they know better than to give in to the heat of the moment.

-- S is for self-respect, and respect for others as well. They don't gossip or say mean and petty things about others. They take every opportunity to make others feel appreciated and good about themselves.

-- S is for self-confidence without being arrogant. Class acts understand their abilities and are not afraid to use them. You can develop confidence, just like any muscle or character trait, if you are willing to work hard. Class acts also increase the confidence of others.

-- A is for accountability. Class acts take responsibility for their actions and results, whether it's a success or failure.

-- C is for compassion. Classy people understand that helping someone up will never pull you down. Compassion is a vital part of class acts. Compassion feels and whispers, "I'll help." Class acts really care.

-- T is for trust. Truthfulness and integrity are the basis for trust. Classy people are trustworthy and understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality. To me the most important five-letter word in business is T-R-U-S-T.

In his book "The Success Principles," my friend Jack Canfield lists "Be a Class Act" as Principle No. 55. What I found most intriguing are some of the reasons he lists for why being a class act helps you succeed.

He writes: "People want to do business with you or become involved in your sphere of influence. They perceive you as successful and someone who can expand their possibilities. They trust you to act with responsibility, integrity and aplomb. Class acts tend to attract people who are at the top of their game."

That's true in the game of life or sports. Classy athletes have an edge over their opponents. Why? Their poise allows them to concentrate better. They exhibit better confidence to play to their potential. As a bonus: Classy athletes usually have the crowd behind them.

Take a close look at your network of friends, co-workers, customers and so on. Are they class acts? Whether you realize it or not, they are a reflection of you. The good news is that you can change.

Make a decision to recreate yourself as a class act and see what kind of people you start attracting. Do fewer things, but do them with excellence. Change your behavior for the better. Raise the quality of your attitude. When you have a higher level of personal standards, you get better treatment from everyone around you.

Mackay's Moral: A class act can say a lot without uttering a word.

Each January the world celebrates creativity -- "a month to remind individuals and organizations around the globe to capitalize on the power of creativity," says motivational speaker Randall Munson, who founded International Creativity Month to refocus attention to creatively improve business and personal activities. "Unleashing creativity is vital for personal and business success in this age of accelerating change."

January, the first month of the year, provides an opportunity to take a fresh approach to problem-solving and renew confidence in our creative capabilities.

Fifty-two percent of Americans consider themselves creative, but only 39 percent of Americans feel they're living up to their creative potential. That's one finding from a survey of 5,000 adults in the United States, the U.K., France, Germany and Japan (1,000 participants each), conducted by the research firm Strategy One. Other findings include:

-- 85 percent of Americans feel that creativity is the key to driving economic growth.

-- 82 percent feel that the United States isn't living up to its creative potential.

-- 62 percent believe that our nation's creativity is being stifled by our education system.

-- 88 percent agree that everyone has the potential to be creative.

Overall, Japan is seen as the most creative country (according to 36 percent of the survey's participants), with the U.S. in second place, named by 26 percent.

Time and money are the biggest obstacles, say Americans: 54 percent say lack of money prevents them from being creative, and 52 percent cite a lack of time.

We start out as pretty creative beings -- children let their imaginations take them to places they've never seen and do things that seem impossible. We encourage it as fun and playtime, but we should celebrate it as the potential for great discovery and accomplishment.

As Pablo Picasso, arguably one of the most creative artists who ever lived, said, "Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up."

Or maybe you can be inspired by another notable thinker, Dr. Seuss (aka Theodore Geisel): "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try."

Why do we begin to take fewer chances as "real life" sets in? You don't have to give up on your creativity as you grow older. You just need to take better care of your brain. Here are some tips for staying mentally fit no matter what your age is:

-- Limit exposure to stress. You may not be able to eliminate stress from your life entirely, but try to keep it in perspective. Stress can narrow your mental vision and decrease your ability to think differently. Learning how to relax and remain calm as you confront problems will help you find solutions more efficiently.

-- Don't multitask. Distractions and lack of focus are the enemies of creative thought. Train yourself to work on one task or problem at a time so you can think deeply about what you're doing and use your whole brain.

-- Rest your brain. Be careful not to focus your mind like a laser all the time. You need to give it some rest so it can refresh and recharge. Often, you'll find the solution to a puzzle when you step back and allow your mind to work on it without the pressure of conscious thought.

-- Exchange problems. At your next staff meeting, have people write down their toughest problem, and drop them all in a hat. Then have everyone pick a problem from the hat and try to solve it. This can encourage people from different areas to get together and learn something about each other's problems and skills.

Surrounding yourself with creative, imaginative people is a good strategy for success, whether you're an entrepreneur seeking innovation or an artist looking for inspiration. Watch for these vital traits:

-- Curiosity. Question how things work and why they work that way. Creative people always want to know more.

-- Open-mindedness. Spend time with people who don't reject new ideas just because they're unfamiliar. They should always be up for trying something different.

-- Flexibility. A lot of "new" ideas are actually combinations of existing concepts. Partner with colleagues who show a talent for putting things together in unexpected and unique ways.

-- Confidence. Connect with people who are sure enough of their abilities to risk failure or embarrassment, but they're ready to try again because they believe in themselves.

Mackay's Moral: Start every day/year with a healthy dose of Vitamin C -- Creativity.

Recently, my fifth trip to India brought me face-to-face with nonstop contradictions. How could a land, primitive in large areas, elbow its way ahead to being the world's fourth largest economy?

At the Camel Fair in Pushkar, 50,000 camels, along with their owners and traders, congregate for a colorful 17-day festival. That's down considerably from what I saw on my first Pushkar pilgrimage 30 years ago. Motorized options -- India now ranks second in two-wheelers and third in small cars -- are nudging the beasts aside. Still, the aroma that 50,000 camels can muster is unforgettable.

Check this juxtaposition: My wife and I were in a cart being pulled by a camel and led by a native driver. He had a very long rope guiding the camel in one hand, while he was talking on his cellphone with the other. That's India today!

The average camel stands 7 feet 1 inch at the hump. That's exactly as tall as Shaquille O'Neal. Sound pretty big? Depends on your vantage point. Indians shrewdly adjust expectations versus results. An old Hindu adage holds: "When a camel is at the foot of a mountain, then judge his height."

The Indian economy has advanced at 9 to 10 percent in recent years. Now it's slowed to between 5 and 6 percent. Indians think they're in trouble, measuring that growth "camel" against the recent past. Hey, wouldn't we in the United States love to be in that sort of trouble?

The Young Presidents' Organization/World Presidents' Organization -- 390 strong -- journeyed to New Delhi for a recent university event. Indian executives, professionals and academics dazzled my colleagues and me with mind-blowing insights. Take Amity University -- which I also visited. Its huge 20,000-student campus has another large campus snuggled close to it. The most stunning number is the 1 million avid learners Amity has enrolled in 240 programs on 40 campuses and six countries, including online.

When I revisited the Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai, I was even more taken by this tribute to modern India's founding father than I was decades earlier. Emblazoned on the wall are Mahatma Gandhi's immortal words: "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

Priceless wisdom for a continuous-learning fanatic like me. India will need each one of those lessons as its population surpasses China's in the near future.

Awesome challenges foster incredible creativity. One of the smartest lessons in the Indian playbook is known as trickle-up or reverse innovation, described by Dartmouth professors Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble.

Under CEO Jeff Immelt, GE has explored reverse innovation too. Here's how it works: Places like India develop inexpensive versions of high-cost technology and processes. These brainstorms are then remarketed back to "advanced" economies as low-cost options.

Does evidence support the success of this ultimate switcheroo?

According to a Harvard Business Review piece, a new wave of Indian hospitals emphasizes "world-class health care at ultralow cost," often through selective specialization done at high volumes.

Throughout India, the electric grid is not efficient, hamstringing high-power electro-technology. Battery-powered medical instruments often do the job.

In 2001, a massive earthquake struck India's state of Gujarat, killing over 20,000 and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. In response, CNN reported, "one young entrepreneur, Mansukhbhai Prajapati ... designed a low-cost clay refrigerator which required no electricity and continued to function in the event of major catastrophes."

Would the challenges of poverty eject India from the continuing global space race? In November, India launched MOM -- the Mars Orbiter Mission. Forbes reports the venture will "make India the first Asian country, and the fourth in the world, to get to the planet." While richer nations book billions lost in space, India rigged up its Mars mission on a $75 million shoestring. Getting to "Mars on a budget" included carefully limited testing, low-cost rocket fuel technologies and acquiring older engine options.

With 70 percent of its population rural, India has been at the forefront of solar cooking solutions. These practical technologies are now drawing international attention.

Having once served as a Miss America pageant judge, I was fascinated to watch Nina Davuluri crowned as the first Miss America of Indian descent in September. Nina, who aspires to be a cardiologist, is a pragmatist. Winning an earlier pageant competition landed her a scholarship enabling her "debt-free" college graduation.

Much is made of India being the world's largest democracy. While wonderful and true, another powerful bond binds America and India. It's one we Americans would all do well to relearn: India's passion for practical resourcefulness.

Mackay's Moral: Trickle-down economics? India's trickling up ... all the way to the bank!