6 Important Leadership Skills for an Emergency

Happy Wednesday, friend! I hope you are enjoying the nice spring weather.

Recently, my youngest son wanted to learn about mines as part of his homeschool, so we picked up a few books from the library. One of the books was the rescue story of the 33 miners trapped in a mine in Chile.

It was actually an interesting book and we learned a lot, but there was a paragraph at the end that made reading the whole book especially worthwhile.

A little background first…

The cave-in at San José Mine in Chile occurred on August 5, trapping 33 men 2,000 feet below ground. For 17 days the miners are isolated and have no idea of what is happening on the surface or if rescue is even possible. Finally a drill crashes through their shelter and there is a connection made between the surface and the miners below. The drill hole is small—only big enough to send messages, food and clothing, and medical supplies. For the next 2 months the world comes together with drilling plans and support to rescue the miners and care for their families. Eventually, the miners are brought to the surface one by one on October 13, after being trapped for over two months.

Now for the paragraph I loved…

“The miners had the benefit of the latest technology and information: fiber-optic cables, biometric belts, Hipora clothing, cell phone projectors, state of the art knowledge of nutrition, NASA’s best studies of how to plan the routines of the men and the emotions of their families. The best drills and drillers rushed from more than half a world away to help out. And yet the most important reason the men came home safe was how they behaved when they were totally alone. In those 17 days when they were isolated, they chose their leader, pulled together, and worked for their own rescue. They did what they could even though they had no idea if that would make any difference. The lost men trusted in one another and in their faith, and made the best of every moment. Those skills were as valuable at the bottom of the mine with no equipment as they were in the fullest possible glare of the world’s attention. From the bottom of the earth, they set an example for us.”

I loved that even though the miners had a whole world supporting them from above, it was actually the leadership and skills of the miners below that kept them alive. I’m a firm believer that everyone will be called upon to be a leader at some point in their life, and this situation is a good example of leadership skills being put to the test.

Here are some of the leadership traits I noticed that the miners put into action to help them survive.

1. Have leaders AND followers. The miners actually had 3 leaders–one who made plans, executed votes and made final decisions, one who focused on humor and positive attitudes, and another who helped with faith. The other miners also had to know when to take orders and when to make decisions.
2. Use the talents and strengths of your group. Give the right people in the right jobs for their strengths.
3. Make a plan and be organized. From the very first day, the miners knew they needed a plan to meet basic needs–food rationing, water gathering and waste removal. They also had a plan that required work and helped them stay busy.
4. Have a shared goal and work together. All the men had a goal of survival.  They all did their part and supported each other to reach that goal.
5. Respect others. There is no way the miners would have survived without basic kindness and consideration for their fellow miner. Yes, there were a few fights the first day or two, but they quickly learned that frustration and anger weren’t going to help them escape.
6. Maintain hope. Without knowing if what they were doing below ground was even going to help them survive, the miner struggled with hope. They had to make significant efforts to keep hope alive in the dark cave.

What leadership skills have you had to put into action at a time when you didn’t think you would? Share in the comments below.

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