6 crucial career lessons we can learn from US Navy SEALs

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Phil Roeder/flickr

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After graduating from DePaul University; earning executive education certificates from Kellogg, Chicago Booth, and DePaul's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business; and working as a consultant for a nonprofit agency in Chicago, Joe Musselman became the 16th man in his family to join the US military.

His intention was to become a US Navy SEAL, but serious injury during the selection phases of training got in the way. He still went on to serve at the Naval Special Warfare Center throughout his recovery until his honorable discharge in 2012.

During that time, Musselman recognized a need for a transition-management program specifically for members of the Special Operations Forces community. He attended close to 40 separate transition programs for veterans and researched hundreds more. And in 2013, he launched The Honor Foundation.

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Courtesy of Joe Musselman

Joe Musselman, founder and CEO of The Honor Foundation.

The Honor Foundation is a transition institute created exclusively for Navy SEALs and the US Special Operations community.

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"It provides a clear process for development and diverse ecosystem of world-class support and technology," he explained. "Every step of our process is dedicated to preparing these outstanding men and women to continue to realize their maximum potential throughout their post-service career."

Musselman said that the people of the Navy SEAL community - who represent the top 1% of our military system - "are some of the highest achievers and finest natural leaders in the world."

Throughout the 1,000 days he spends "transitioning" SEALs, Musselman has picked up some lessons and values along the way that can translate to any career pursuit.

Here are six of them: