First things first. Maggie Fox, founder and CEO of Social Media Group, jots down three goals--and only three--every morning. "If you have any more than three priorities," she says, "you have no priorities." -- Adapted from "Launch," Inc.

Think Small. Journalist Joseph T. Hallinan suggests in his book Why We Make Mistakes that one way to
enhance the quality of decisions is to "think small." Identify the consequences of small errors and take steps to correct them.

In Blunder: Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions, historian Zachary Shore exposes the cognitive traps behind major leadership mistakes, from ancient times to today.

"Success is a lousy teacher," says Bill Gates. "It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." Leadership guru John Kotter agrees and suggests one way to guard against complacency is to ask yourself if team conversations are inwardly focused, rather than about new markets.

LivingSocial, a firm that has gone from 33 staffers to 3,900 worldwide in less than 2 years, keeps its staff energized with interesting perks:

Long before online chat, in the 1970s, NPR promoted interactivity with listeners. All Things Considered co-hosts Bob Edwards and Susan Stamberg ran 'contests' —the only prize was to get one's entry read on air.

Don't get too dependent on email, text or online support—a live voice is better according to a new CNN Money/Fortune (nonscientific) customer service test.

In the age of “casual dress” consultant Tom Searcy advises, “If your prospect is in denim, you wear khaki...

Create an 'iDisconnect' Schedule. Jodie Shaw, CEO of ActionCOACH, a firm with offices in 39 countries, disconnects from her smartphone at 7p.m. “I am no longer enslaved to office communication and have genuine down time —making me a be...

Know what that lofty goal means—in human terms. When president Chris McCann went undercover at 1-800-Flowers, he discovered how his executives failed to connect with workers. Like the infamous I Love Lucy episode, McCann failed miserably at ...