We have a staff member leaving at the end of the month. This staff member has been with me since we started. He and I go back about 11 years. When someone decides to venture off and do something else with their one life, you start to think (selfishly) about how that’s going to impact you and your organization.

Here’s what I realized: you can hire people to fill the position, but you can’t buy loyalty or trust. Trust is built over time and loyalty is proven when a person has to opportunity to be disloyal. So consider that when you are making your next hiring decision. Money can buy you talent, experience, and education. But it can’t buy you loyalty or trust. They either have it or they don’t…