Success isn't always about dominating the landscape. Sometimes, to be successful, you have to be prepared to give up some counterproductive behaviors that are holding you back -- behaviors you may not even be aware you possess.

Old habits are hard to break. And if you don't realize that you are practicing some of these behaviors, you may not see a problem. But if others perceive you as a difficult co-worker, it's time to take another look at what you are doing.

Be brutally honest with yourself or ask a trusted associate, and see if any of these traits describe you. If the answer is yes, an attitude adjustment may be in order.

-- The need to be right. Concentrate on getting results, not on proving your own intelligence and accuracy. Be open about your mistakes. Don't worry about who gets the credit for victory. Help others succeed, and you'll share in the glory.

-- Speaking first. You don't have to dominate every meeting and conversation. Ask for others' ideas and opinions. Give them the opportunity to share their thoughts, and they'll become more comfortable communicating with you.

-- Making every decision. Ask others what they would do, and be willing to accept that there may be more than one way to accomplish a task. Don't insist that everyone do things your way.

-- Control. You can't stay on top of every task and decision. Identify what you really need to handle, and delegate responsibility for tasks that others can do just as well. Accept that some things are beyond your control so you can concentrate on the influence you have.

-- Inflexibility. If you find yourself balking at new ideas, or resisting change with "but we've always done it this way," it's time for a change. Different situations demand different solutions. And it's better to be part of the solution than part of the problem.

-- Disloyalty. Bad-mouthing your company, co-workers, products or services never improves any situation. Disagreement is not disloyalty. It's natural to have differences of opinion. But it is not professional to disparage another in an attempt to make yourself look better. Criticism must be constructive, not destructive.

-- Dishonesty. Just tell the truth. Honor confidential conversations. If you prefer not to answer a question, say so, but don't lie or evade questions. Trust is the most important word in business, in my opinion.

-- Tunnel vision. Projects that require cooperation among departments should not provoke competition but teamwork. But if each department sees its contribution as the most important rather than focusing on the big picture, the big picture will be way out of focus.

-- No sense of humor. It's important to take your work seriously, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun at work. In fact, I'm a big fan of enjoying your job and making work enjoyable for those around you. As long as the language is appropriate, i.e., not offensive, demeaning or vulgar, a dose of humor can bring people together and make situations more comfortable.

-- Poor listening skills. There is a difference between hearing and listening. Pay attention to what's being said, and ask questions if you are unclear about the message. Avoid interrupting, evading eye contact, rushing the speaker and letting your attention wander. You can win more friends with your ears than with your mouth.

-- Disorganization. A messy workspace does not demonstrate how busy you are. Clutter gets in the way of clear thinking. If you can't find what you need the moment you need it, you need to get organized.

-- Lack of accountability. Blaming mistakes or poor results on others, refusing to take responsibility for obvious errors, making excuses instead of finding solutions -- it can't always be someone else's fault.

-- Poor time management. First things first. Setting priorities and meeting deadlines is fundamental to the success of an organization. If one of the key players operates on a different schedule, the whole project suffers. Wasting time is wasting money.

-- Impulsiveness. Learn to think before you speak or act. You can't un-say words, and apologies often ring hollow. Count to 10, count to 100, count to whatever it takes to prevent rash and regrettable actions.

-- Vulgarity. Watch your language. Even as more and more four-letter words creep into everyday use, they have no place in a respectable business.

Mackay's Moral: Clean up your act, or be prepared to clean out your desk.

U.S. president and five-star general Dwight Eisenhower used a simple device to illustrate the art of leadership. Laying an ordinary piece of string on a table, he'd illustrate how you could easily pull it in any direction.

Then he'd push it and show how it didn't go anywhere, saying that people were the same way.

Leadership at any successful organization needs to be plainly defined. Here's how I see it:

-- L is for loyalty. A leader must be loyal to the organization, and leave no question that he or she is committed to its success. Loyalty is the distinguishing quality of winners. That goes for everyone -- entrepreneurs, owners, managers and employees, no exceptions. A leader models loyalty so that it works top down, bottom up and side-to-side, and at all times.

-- E is for enthusiasm. Leaders know that enthusiasm is contagious, and they help spread it around. If you are excited about hitting the pavement every day, it will show. And that generates enthusiasm among your employees and customers.

There is one thing more contagious than enthusiasm, and that is the lack of enthusiasm.

Focus on the positive, even if it is a small thing. Train your brain to look for the silver lining, and then be amazed at how your improved attitude leads to enthusiasm that permeates the workplace.

-- A is for adversity. Truly effective leaders accept adversity as a condition of doing business. I have never met a successful person who hasn't had to overcome either a little or a lot of adversity. Don't be afraid of adversity -- handled properly, it makes you stronger. It helps you grow. Problems and people can't stop you. The only thing that can stop you is YOU.

-- D is for determination. Determined people, particularly determined leaders, 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 get different results, some change is required. Determined people also exhibit another "D" trait: discipline.

-- E is for example. We lead by example, whether in business, family or friendships. It doesn't matter if you're raising children or managing people, setting a good example is one of the most important leadership skills. You have to practice what you preach. How you conduct yourself says more than any instructions you may give. Set high personal standards and expect the same from your staff.

-- R is for resilience. Failure is all too common in business and in life. Anyone who has ever run a business wakes up regularly with nightmares about the what-ifs. Successful people are resilient. They don't let hard times turn into end times. Let them lead to your best times.

-- S is for sincerity. Say what you mean and mean what you say. "Go team go!" only works if you are sincerely committed to what you are doing.

-- H is for heart. A good decision must factor in the human element. When your head and heart say the same thing, you can bet it's the right answer. There's no denying the heart of a leader. Use your head, to be sure, but don't ignore what your heart is telling you.

-- I is for integrity. Integrity begins at the top. Leaders must set the example -- inspiring employees to do what is right, rather than what is easy. We must clearly define what is expected throughout the organization, ensuring that integrity is first and foremost in our decision-making. Enduring leaders know that integrity is not optional.

-- P is for purpose. Leaders think in terms of goals. There isn't a college football coach with a greater sense of purpose than Lou Holtz. He proved it at Notre Dame, Arkansas, the University of Minnesota and a host of other universities. Did you know that Lou once coached the New York Jets? He left the job after only eight months. Why? Because, as Lou told me, he came to the job "without a clear sense of purpose. Absent a focus of my own, I couldn't give one to the team. I was embarrassed by my inability to provide them with proper leadership. So I left." Few leaders are as honest.

Mackay's Moral: Great leaders know how to "spell out" goals and expectations.

In the book "The World According to Mr. Rogers," children's television star Fred Rogers passed along the following story about the value of making mistakes.

An apprentice carpenter applied for a position with a master carpenter. During the interview process, the master became very aware of the young worker's pride -- everything he'd done was perfect. Finally, the master carpenter asked the apprentice if he had ever made a mistake, to which the young man proudly said no. The confident young man thought the job was his.

However, to his surprise, the master carpenter said he would not be hiring the skillful apprentice. The reason: That when he did make a mistake, he would have no idea how to fix it.

I completely agree with that hiring decision. It's OK to make mistakes, but you have to learn from them. If you just keep making the same mistakes, one of two things is happening: You are not paying attention, or you just don't care.

So often, the person who never makes a mistake takes orders from the person who does. The risk-takers tend to become the entrepreneurs and managers. And some of the mistakes they have made are costly and embarrassing. But the lessons they learned taught them how to "fix it," as Mr. Rogers would say.

Thomas Watson Sr., the founder of IBM, said of mistakes: "You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it."

The person who makes a mistake and then makes an excuse for it is actually making two mistakes. People respect those who take responsibility for their own errors. Regardless, you will be better off admitting a gaffe than spending considerably more energy trying to avoid the subject. If you seize the opportunity to learn what went wrong, you'll be a lot less likely to make the same mistake again.

To paraphrase the words of our favorite baseball philosopher Yogi Berra, "Don't make the wrong mistakes."

Embrace mistakes as opportunities to grow. In today's business climate, people are making split-second decisions. That makes for a high likelihood of mistakes. But keep in mind that if you're not making mistakes, you're not taking any risks. And that could mean you're not making progress.

"Mistakes are the downside of risk-taking. And it seems as if we've become very unwilling to tolerate mistakes," said my friend William R. Brody, former president of Johns Hopkins University. "Being risk-averse is hurting our global competitiveness and stagnating our incomes."

Managers have a specific role in dealing with staff mistakes. You want your staff to make as few mistakes as possible. But workers do need to know when they make mistakes so that they can learn and grow in the workplace.

As a manager, you need to think about the problem and assess how important the mistake is. If the mistake was made out of lack of awareness, let the person know what has happened, and explore whether he or she knows how to prevent it in the future. If the mistake was made out of carelessness, then talk to your employee. Find out if something is distracting him or her. If the employee is feeling overworked, see if you can provide some help.

Remember, when an employee fails, you share the blame, just as you share the credit for your workers' successes. Make sure that you don't abdicate your responsibility. Verify that you have communicated clearly so that employees know what you expect. And most importantly, be available to help -- because if you fail your employees, you are making the worst mistake.

Mackay's Moral: If you don't learn from your mistakes, there's no sense making them.