one of the biggest risk-reducing strategies is the courage to say NO. No to a flight in marginal conditions, no to pushing on in weather that's getting worse, no to departing with an airplane you're not 100% sure about. It's not easy to send friends who have come to the aiport for a pleasure flight back home, I know. But sometimes this is exactly what you have to do.
That's it in a nutshell. Decision-making would have to be one of the more important skills in flying - and one that's difficult to teach I'd think.
For me, I fly solely for the fun of it. So I can keep outside pressures to a minimum (Weather's marginal? ahh well, suppose we'll stay on the ground today - there's always next weekend!) - no 'schedule' to keep as such. And I'd like to keep it that way! It's one way of reducing the risk somewhat.
Life's short - flying's too fun to miss out on - and if something should happen to me while I'm up there, hopefully it was because I made an 'original' mistake. Read the accident report, learn from it and don't make the same mistake I did!!
Adam