This story truly amazes me…
33 miners trapped for 69 DAYS! They were presumed dead for 17 days until rescue crews on the surface pulled back a drilling tube to find a plastic bag with a note in it that said, “We are fine in the refuge, the 33.” 
What they did for themselves was simple yet astounding. They modeled leadership by showing us …
- Grace under pressure
- Ability to organize based on strength
- The importance of keeping a level head
- Power of hope and a positive attitude
- What happens when we work together
Here’s some of what we learned from the miners:
Leaders share the role: You might assume that the miners’ shift supervisor would take over the main leadership responsibilities. Yes, Luis Urzua was organizing work assignments for the crew, assisting with the plan to get out of the mine and ensuring that no one eats a meal until everyone’s food has been sent down the shaft. He did not, however, taken on every leadership responsibility for himself. The oldest miner on the crew, Mario Gomez, took on the role of attending to the spiritual and mental health of the men. He was consulting with psychologists on the surface to monitor the psychic health of his comrades. Yonny Barrios took the lead on ensuring the physical health of the crew by drawing on six months of nursing training he took 15 years ago. Barrios administered tests and health screenings to his friends on behalf of the doctors monitoring the situation above ground. What an impressive example these men are of leaders who share the work of leadership.
Leaders leverage their gifts: Each of these three miners, along with others on the crew, drew on their gifts and life experiences to ensure the well being of the unit. Someone I respect recently pointed out to me that you know you’re in the right leadership role when your heart, not just your head, tells you it’s the right way for you to contribute. My guess is that Urzua, Gomez and Barrios felt that kind of alignment with the leadership roles they’ve assumed.
Leaders keep the whole person in mind: Every organization has a bottom line. In the case of a mine rescue, the bottom line was getting the miners out alive. It’s one thing to bring the men out in relatively good physical health. It’s another to bring them out mentally, spiritually and emotionally healthy. They were so fortunate to be led by men who recognized those needs and organized themselves to attend to them.
Would your team perform differently if you approached your leadership role with such attention and care to the whole person?
What’s inspired you about the Chilean miners, their families and the people working to rescue them? What other leadership lessons can we learn from these brave and resourceful souls?
Please share your comments…