February 23, 2012
How the Struggle for Survival in the Chilean Mine Was Won Before the Disaster
People worldwide were riveted by the story of the rescued Chilean miners. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, you’ve probably been trapped underground yourself: Coverage of the miners’ ordeal dominated the news for nearly two months, and a billion people watched live coverage of the rescue.
The story itself has been mined for the rich vein of lessons it provides. Some hailed it as evidence of the power of faith, which it certainly was. The 33 miners set up a chapel and prayed together daily at noon and 6:00. Once a bore hole connected them to the world above, they requested crucifixes, Bibles, rosaries, and statues of the saints. “There are actually 34 of us, because God has never left us down here,” said Jimmy Sánchez, the youngest of the trapped men.
Others have underscored the enormous leadership challenge involved in maintaining morale and cohesion despite the enormous pressure the miners were under. That leadership came from the story’s foremost hero, the miners’ shift foreman, Luis Urzúa.
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| Luis Urzúa just moments after becoming the final miner to reach the surface. |
In the 17 hellish days when the miners were totally isolated, Urzúa helped them to stay strong and act in ways that were essential to long-term survival. Under his guidance, they made two days’ worth of tuna fish and milk last for two weeks. They used a backhoe to find water and truck headlights to simulate daylight. He assigned jobs, maintained discipline, and kept despair at bay. When contact was finally made, the world was astonished to find all the miners alive and well.
“He obviously loves them”
A case can be made that Urzúa’s most important achievement came before the disaster. To grasp this point, put yourself in the miners’ position. You are trapped half a mile underground. You are facing the very real prospect of death by starvation. Now imagine various bosses you’ve had in your life, and ponder how willing you’d be to accept their authority under those circumstances.
I don’t know about you, but among the leaders I’ve worked with in my career, I’ve known Urzúa clones, Urzúa wannabes, and total anti-Urzúas. This latter group has included some profoundly Level 2 people, whose coat of arms, if they had one, would feature a mirror and “It’s All About Me” in Latin.
If I were stuck in a mine with one of those “leaders,” I would have been plotting mutiny before the dust had settled. (“If we’re going to survive, the first thing we need to do is demote this creep – and turn him upside down to see how many cans of tuna fall from his pockets!”) The point is that, when a crisis hits, it’s too late to establish trust – or to cure mistrust.
From all accounts, Urzúa had earned his men’s trust before the crisis. He was seen as not only competent but caring and truly concerned for the welfare of others. One former colleague, Robinson Marquez, summed up his reputation: “He is very protective of his people and obviously loves them." It was no surprise that he wished to remain in the mine until all the other men were safe.
In the framework of the Four Levels, Urzúa stands out as a manifestly Level 3 leader. It’s hard to imagine he would have succeeded had he been anything less.
The acclaim Urzúa inspired also reflects our inherent admiration for virtue. The average guy in the street probably couldn’t name the Four Cardinal Virtues, but we know them and respect them when we see them. The miners clearly manifested Courage and Self-discipline (or Temperance, to use the older term). Urzúa himself was a perfect model of Fairness in his leadership of the men. He had the Wisdom to shepherd the group’s resources, keep the men focused on small tasks and small victories, and lay the groundwork for rescue by mapping the mine before contact was made.
While few of us will ever face a trial remotely like the miners’ ordeal, the outlook and virtues that made their story appealing can be practiced every day. Their value may be thrown into sharper relief in times of crisis, but their benefit has less to do with survival than with helping us to live well.
– John Keenan, Editor
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Last changed: Mar 09 2011 at 10:05 AM