As is normal at this time if the year, economists are pretty much compelled to outline their main themes for the economy and markets in the year ahead.

I am not different so here we go.

As the silly season gets under way, many of us will be looking to 2014 & the next 12 months of awards nights, conferences and events.

Often, during the planning process, the question comes up 'do we need an MC?'

So many businesses are sitting here today faced with the knowledge that they are less relevant today than they were a year ago.

They don't quite know how it happened; everything seemed to be going so well. They were THE hottest product last January, but now the numbers say different.

As a leader, you have the capacity to empower. You have the capacity to empower your staff, your colleagues and yourself says Lisa McInnes-Smith.

Yet so often true leadership falls by the wayside as deadlines & budgets take over. This needs to change, we need a shift, a leader shift.

And to support you in your quest to become the best you can be, you can learn to unlock your leadership potential with a one on one coaching session with Lisa McInnes-Smith.

Lisa is giving away a tailored coaching session to anyone who confirms an event with her before 31st January 2014. This session can be redeemed by you or any member of your team!

After becoming separated from his friends in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, Yossi Ghinsberg survived three harrowing weeks in one of the worlds' most dangerous environments.

It was this experience that has lead Yossi on a journey of self-discovery that has seen him captivate hundreds of thousands of people across the world with his tales of strength, collaboration and above all, our innate power to survive.

In this heartfelt article, Yossi asks us to call upon our animal instincts to survive the everyday stresses that plague us at this busy time of year.

Beware the Tyranny of Tradition Michael McQueen warns us in this cautionary tale of a business that gets slowed down by it's 'barnacles'

Every business needs to ask itself, are we innovating? Are we doing enough to ensure we remain streamlined? Or are we carrying the dead weight of processes and systems that are no longer relevant?

Scott is a visionary and banking innovator who, as Movenbank's Chief Mobile Officer is poised to disrupt the banking services industry with a mobile-centric offering unlike any other. In this fascinating piece Scott explores what our physical money actually means and how we can expect this to change in the not so distant future.

Some say that it makes the world go round, others call it the root of all evil. But what exactly is money? Why do we need it? And where did it come from?

The tourism industry has recently gone through tough times but there are some encouraging signs emerging that 2014 will be a better one for the industry.

The real issue with big data today is not defining what it is, but from a business perspective, knowing how to get value from it. Here's my take. Big data is not about big technology - it's just about making better decisions.

If you work in the travel industry you sell something of immense value. Holidays are some of people's most treasured experiences. They provide us with time to unwind, time to have adventures, and time to spend with family and friends. If you ask people to list their 10 best experiences, many of them would be whilst they have been on holiday.

There's another benefit of travelling. It changes our perspective.

It is harder to make a dollar in retail today than ever before. Recent years have seen the retail sector buffeted by a series of fierce and disruptive headwinds.

Indicative of this fact, consider the raft of retail brands such as Payless Shoes and Borders that have had little alternative than to file for bankruptcy as the going has gotten tough.

While a combination of factors have contributed to the woes of retailers, it is perhaps the ever-growing threat of technology and online competition that has had the greatest impact.

In this profile on the future of retail and consumer innovations, author and futurist Mike Walsh talks about the influence of social media on consumer behavior. He uses real-life examples like Japan's Tokyo Girls collection, which enables attendees to use their cell phones to scan the dresses they see and instantly order them. This segment appeared on Carte Blanche, a South African TV current affairs program.

It is harder make a buck in retail today than ever before. Recent years have seen the retail sector buffeted by a series of fierce and disruptive headwinds.

As new technologies continue to change the pace and nature of the workplace, individuals face the ever-growing challenge of remaining ahead of the curve.

What Do You Think It Takes To Be A Futurist? 

Having grown up in the era of self esteem, today's young employees have been inundated with extrinsic positive affirmation their whole lives. This has often resulted in them needing constant praise and validation from employers and managers.

In this short video, Michael McQueen explores some of the challenges and implications of dealing with 'high maintenance' young people while outlining strategies for responding to them effectively.

Most organisations know that innovation is important, but many struggle to make it happen. It's a more complicated goal than, say, improving your IT. How do you increase the amount of new ideas your organisation generates, and create pathways for those ideas to be shared, grown, trialled and – when they are good – implemented?

'The Wevolution Revolution' is a recount of Yossi's amazing adventure of building 'Chalalan' an eco-tourism resort in the heart of the Amazon that inspired the world. Through this fascinating story on a timely idea and the power of vision, Yossi touches big picture issues and identifies new trends and values in the emerging new world. Yossi talks like no one else on understanding nature's module of the eco-system with its internal design and principles. He talks about the economic philosophy before and after the GFC. His insights are striking in their originality, thought provoking and enlightening for organization who are interested to quickly adapt and go ahead of the curve.

What will be the office of the future? We were told that new technology would allow us to work from home, meet virtually and avoid travel – but if anything, as Yahoo employee recently found out – offices spaces are becoming more important and we are travelling more than before. The answer as to why may have as much to do with emerging ideas about innovation as an economic theory from the 19th century – Jevon's Paradox

Footage sourced from Cassidy Turley's State Of Real Estate 2013.

As a Telecommunications company you already pride yourself, on connecting people so that they can communicate more effectively, but are you tapping into the wisdom that can be found within your organisations network. In this video Dom Thurbon, discusses how to use social networks internally to increase communication, team work and the overall performance of your organisation.