Combat is a leadership laboratory. That laboratory is a proving ground for veterans like Leif Babin, who shared his insights on leadership and teamwork at last Fall’s Driving Sales Executive Summit. A former Navy SEAL and co-founder of management consulting firm, Echelon Front, LLC, Babin gave an inspiring keynote address where he translated his experiences as a SEAL and SEAL Officer into leadership development tips.

This Independence Day, as we consider the significance of our Founding Fathers’ leadership, courage and dedication to freedom that so many have fought for over the decades, I thought it timely to revisit some of Babin’s insights, beginning with his fundamentals of leadership and teamwork:

• Cover & Move – Teams must work together
• Simple - Use clear, concise communication so everyone understands the specific mission
• Prioritize & Execute – Get the team moving toward the highest priority target
• Decentralized Command – Everyone knows what to do and why

Babin stressed that the key to effective leadership is for those in leadership positions to embrace three essential concepts:

Extreme Ownership

Leaders own the solution. Take responsibility when things go wrong and develop solutions to overcome problems.

Continuous, Realistic Self-Assessment

Humility and constant training and preparation are required if you want to improve. Set standards for your team: it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate. Remember, there are no bad teams, only bad leaders.

Hard Training

Training must be continual, realistic and practical, stretching you beyond your comfort zone. Babin also stressed that the fundamentals don’t change, and that “advanced tactics” are the basics done really well. Finally, repetition is critical. In his words, “Train, train, then train some more.”

In my humble opinion, the U.S. Armed Forces are collectively the best, most respected military force in the world, and the SEAL program illustrates the discipline, training and leadership that make it so. I’m happy to take a lesson in leadership from them!

This July 4th, let’s celebrate the freedoms derived from those earliest declarations of independence and thank all the wise leaders and brave heroes who have sacrificed so much to maintain our liberty over the years. Happy Independence Day, America!

This post was originally published on NCM Institute's Up to Speed blog.