Patience has never been my virtue. I tap my feet waiting in line, traffic is a nightmare and “take the long way home” never made sense to me.

In business, I never thought this was an issue. Getting the task done as quickly as possible was always something I was praised for, when I was someone else’s employee.

Now that I’m managing people, this lack of patience may be my downfall.

Without even realizing it, most leaders do and say things that create ineffective employees. Christine Comaford, author of SmartTribes: How Teams Become Brilliant Together says even good leaders unconsciously strike fear in the hearts of their work force.

“From time to time, we all say or do things that spark unconscious fears in our employees,” says Comaford. “The primitive ‘fight, flight or freeze’ part of the brain takes control. When that happens, when people are stuck in what I call the Critter State, all they can focus on is their own survival.”

Just like the garden, no one wants critters. But, I get the feeling my lack of patience is creating this mental state.

Continue to reading to learn how to practice patience and put people first.

Thirty seconds. It’s enough time for you to stretch, send a quick text message or plan what you’re going to make for dinner. Half a minute can seem very trivial in the scheme of your day.  

But if you’ve ever tried to write an elevator pitch, you’ll know that thirty seconds can also be a secret weapon.    

With a well-practiced elevator pitch, you convey to potential employers who you are and what you’ll bring to the table on an interview.

Quickly catching an employer’s interest on the spot can be challenging if you're not prepared, so here are a few tips for selling your skill set in half a minute or less.

Continue reading for tips on how to craft the perfect elevator pitch for an interview.

Anyone who works in an office knows the feeling. You’re halfway through the work day, your project isn’t anywhere close to being completed and time is quickly ticking away.

Productivity is a wonderful thing.

It’s also something that’s hard to come by when your mind would rather focus on anything else than emails.

According to The Muse, productivity won’t appear out of thin air, but there are things employees can do to get inspired and ready to work.

Continue reading for tips on how to stay productive during the workday.

Now that we know divergent thinking leads to innovative ideas, it’s time to discuss another important factor in creativity:having FUN!

While work and play may seem like conflicting ideas, an article in Entreprenuer Magazine suggests having fun in the office can increase employee motivation and productivity, which leads to increased ROI.

Google may be one of the most well known companies famous for having fun. The company is well known for its innovative office designs and creativity-based culture.

While we might not have tube slides and food trucks at Garden Media Group, we still know how to have fun while getting the job done.

Read more to learn about ways you can integrate fun in the office.

Many business people are taught how to manage a company though years of classes and seminars. But do they ever really learn how to lead?  

Whether it’s a large corporation or a small business, learning to be a leader and one who others will follow is the key to success.

Leaders and managers differ in their decision making approaches, visions and values. Those who understand these differences and why they are important will build stronger teams in the long run.

Read more about the important differences between managing and leading.