40 years ago I welcomed to my staff — back in my corporate days in North Carolina — a new assistant. She was quick to ask questions and quick to stand her ground for what she believed was right. She became one of the best team members I’ve ever worked with.

We reconnected recently and I’ve been reflecting on what made her exceptional: she cared deeply, communicated clearly, and never stopped learning. Those qualities matter as much today as they did 40 years ago. The tools change. The technology changes. But the fundamentals of a great team member — reliability, curiosity, integrity — are timeless. Hire for those. Develop those. Keep the people who have them.