The skills shortage 'red flag' is going unnoticed in many regions as employers ignore the signals.

Air NZ chief exec Christopher Luxon has carved out a big reputation for foot-on-the-throat attention to the bottom line.

New Zealand business feeling daunted by emerging technologies need look no further than the example of TradeMe, says a world-renowned expert in e-commerce.

Clear cut results are thin on the ground but Prime Minister John Key said today he was happy with this year's Apec economic meeting in Vladivostok, Russia.

Nosh CEO Clinton Beuvink explains why it is so crucial for staff to have a passion for their company. For him, the cashier has the most important role within his company. “The cashier completes the experience,” he says. “They can make it totally memorable, because they’re the last interaction point, or they can destroy it.”

Farro Fresh co-founder Janene Draper explains how to empower staff and help them develop within the company. She suggests allowing employees to go on training courses and to act on their own development ideas. “We’ve had staff that have started off on the shop floor being a barista. “They’ve now got company cars and the other staff can actually see what’s happening within the group.”

Frog Recruitment director Jane Kennelly shares ideas on how to foster creativity in a business and the benefits that come from doing so. She also touches on some of the challenges involved in having highly creative people working together. “Sometimes it can become a little bit of a battle of the wills. “By and large, if we have great conversations, they typically lead to great decisions.”

Kohu Road founder Greg Hall talks about the “win-win” that comes from matching talented people with the right role in a company. He says it is not enough to have great people in the mix – they also need to be in the best-suited job. “As soon as you do things you don’t want to do you’re going to do a bad job, you’re going to lose motivation.” “If you’re doing the things you love, you’ll find success.”

Powershop chief executive Ari Sargent talks about staying motivated and open to change, allowing employees the opportunity to share ideas. “As the competition moves towards us, we need to move away and keep ahead of that game. “We’re always challenging ourselves to do better and just not sit still.”

Spaceworks Managing Director Lizzi Hines shares her thoughts on being a big picture thinker. She says having vision is one thing but that also needs to be balanced with an ability to sort out the finer details. “I actually find it more difficult to focus on the detail.” “I surround myself with the right people to assist me to focus on the detail.”

David Darling, CEO, Pacific Edge on Innovation. David talks about the winning combination behind innovation and international success in the biomedical industry. Having led companies that have achieved world firsts and global success, David says “we got those on the back of having great genetic resources, a great team and we were well resourced from a capital perspective”.

Scott Bartlett, Chief Executive, Orcon on Talent. Orcon CEO Scott Bartlett highlights the importance of staff development and training in keeping people motivated on the job. He also elaborates on a number of strategies businesses like Orcon can implement to give employees a sense of achievement. “The business has to invest in its people heavily,” Scott says. “When you do that, people get a better sense of engagement around the work they’re doing and they’ve got the tools for achieving results.”

Josef Roberts, CEO, Burger Fuel on Culture. Burger Fuel CEO Josef Roberts believes culture is key to staff retention in his company. He elaborates on ways businesses can create the right culture to ensure employees remain engaged and motivated. “I’m a strong believer in creating a culture that people will actually contribute to and feel relaxed enough, confident enough and interested enough to keep coming to work,” Josef says. “We have a high retention of staff and people in the business and I think it’s because we’ve created a culture that’s fun and enjoyable.”

Bupa CEO Dwayne Crombie sees leadership as a way of empowering staff to take ownership of the decision-making process. “I try not to run everything. I try not to be the centre-point for a lot of the day-to-day decisions,” Dwayne says. “I actually tolerate people doing things that wouldn’t be my first choice, so, it doesn’t have to be my way.” Dwayne says staff should ascertain ownership in their roles rather than defer the decision-making process to top management.

Diane Hurford, creator and CEO, Brolly Sheets on Planning. When it comes to business, planning is the key for Brolly Sheets founder Diane Hurford. Diane shares with us the map that will drive her multi-million dollar sales goal in the next five years. “I’m a great believer in plans, so I know where I want the journey to go, I know in five years’ time where I want to be. I call it my Steve Austin plan and it’s a $6m plan,” Diane says.