HR is in the midst of a paradigm shift.

Smart companies know that in our modern service and information economies, people are actually our most valuable assets. As such, HR has taken on an increasingly front-line, strategic function, and is as important as finance, sales, marketing, or operations.

So what does this mean for today’s crop of HR professionals?

To put it bluntly, your job is harder than ever.

Not only are you expected have to have a solid foundation in the traditional areas of HR expertise, but you have a whole new set of skills and responsibilities to master, and a whole host of additional considerations. Now you have to balance traditional areas like compensation, hiring, and employment codes, with new areas like retention, organizational culture, engagement, internal communications, leadership and development, and business strategy.

As it stands today, the role of HR in organizations remains one of increased responsibilities, a greater focus on strategic outcomes, and stricter accountability across the board.

So how do you do it? As an HR pro, where do you focus your time and effort? What qualities, skills and habits do you need to master in order to provide the most value for your company?

Don’t fret, because we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled this one-stop list that lays out the seven key traits that stellar HR professionals need to have in order to thrive in today’s challenging business landscape.