How much does the first hour of every day matter? As it turns out, a lot. It can be the hour you see everything clearly, get one real thing done, and focus on the human side of work rather than your task list.

Remember when you used to have a period at the beginning of every day to think about your schedule, catch up with friends, maybe knock out a few tasks? It was called home room, and it went away after high school. But many successful people schedule themselves a kind of grown-up home room every day. You should too.

The first hour of the workday goes a bit differently for Craig Newmark of Craigslist, David Karp of Tumblr, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, career writer (and Fast Company blogger) Brian Tracy, and others, and they’ll tell you it makes a big difference. Here are the first items on their daily to-do list.

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Picking a number two is among the most important decisions any leader makes. Getting it right shapes a leader’s direction, effectiveness, and legacy.

The business world has no rules requiring that every leader have a backup, or that every corporate chief executive has a chief operating officer. Indeed, some leaders prefer to consolidate power rather than name a second-in-command. In some big companies, the CEO takes on all the top titles — chairman, president, and CEO — and scatters authority over an array of divisional and functional heads or appoints a trio of vice chairmen.

Still most leaders benefit from a running-the-company mate. A good number two can back them up, reinforce their message, and handle major responsibilities with the same broad view as the top person.

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Courtesy : Tinaz Billimoria