Leadership Lessons From the Chilean Mine Rescue Review

This analysis covers leadership lessons from the Chilean mine rescue review. It discusses the situational approach, flexibility and adaptive leadership, path-goal theory, and communication effectiveness. The analysis also includes examples of effective leadership in crisis situations.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF CHILEAN MINE RESCUE
Leadership Lessons From the Chilean Mine Rescue Review
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ANALYSIS OF CHILEAN MINE RESCUE 2
#1
According to Nwabueze (2011), leadership refers to the management of people to achieve
the organizational goals and visions using the available human labor. As a leader, I find myself
traits such as Self-confidence, motivation, and positivity. An effective leader can use the
intellectual resources available to motivate other people to achieve the set goals. Self-confidence
in a leader attracts others to work towards achieving their goals and visions. I have always been
self-confident, optimistic and have the constant need to motivate others to achieve the set goals.
Integrity, enthusiasm, toughness, and calmness are some of the traits that have enabled me to
manage myself and motivate other people to benefit. Leadership is not about using employees
rather it can delegate work to the employees as they are willing to do it. This requires leaders to
possess infectious optimism, fulfillment, confidence and the ability to create the feeling of
upliftment (Nwabueze, 2011).
Leaders face a lot of interconnected demand; personal moral, ethical, or religious beliefs
can act stability and guidance to navigate through the uncertainty leaders’ encounter in their line
of duties. The personal beliefs and morals, ethical and religious beliefs do not interfere with the
leader's ability to lead effectively as they empower them to their personal and social conducts
and develop a strong mindset.
Reference
Nwabueze, U. (2011). Implementing TQM in healthcare: The critical leadership traits. Total
Quality Management & Business Excellence, 22(3), 331–343.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2010.532338

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#2
The Starbucks’s CEO Kevin R. Johnson showed great leadership skills in handling a
crisis at Starbucks’s stores, where two black men were racially profiled at Starbucks store and
got arrested for what was believed to be no crime. They entered the store to request to use the
washrooms, and they’re denied and went ahead to sit as they waited for their white friend for a
meeting. An employee notified the police on them, and they got arrested. The judge could not
find the basis to charge them, and they’re let go.
The Starbucks store CEO sensed a racial profiling crisis spiraling out of control causing a
public relation crisis, he came out as a leader and took responsibility for the actions and offered a
genuine apology where he pledged to fix the problem. The CEO went ahead to close the stores to
conduct racial-bias training intended to prevent discrimination. His actions managed to contain
the crisis as the public noticed he was empathetic and genuine in his actions.
The Situational leadership approach was used to handle the situation. Where he used the
best strategies he felt was good for the organization in that particular situation. He was ready to
take responsibility for an employee’s action (Schreuder, Groothoff, Jongsma, Zweeden, Klink &
Roelen, 2013). This was effective as he was able to manage the risk factor spontaneously before
it spiraled out of control (Glaser, Stam & Takeuchi, 2016).
References
Glaser, L., Stam, W., & Takeuchi, R. (2016). Managing the Risks of Proactivity: A Multilevel
Study of Initiative and Performance in the Middle Management Context. Academy of
Management Journal, 59(4), 1339–1360. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2014.0177

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Schreuder, J., Groothoff, J., Jongsma, D., Zweeden, N., Klink, J., & Roelen, C. (2013).
Leadership Effectiveness: A Supervisor’s Approach to Manage Return to Work. Journal
of Occupational Rehabilitation, 23(3), 428–437. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=s3h&AN=89567556&site=ehost-live
#3
In 2010, tons of rock caved in copper and gold mine in Chile, blocking the passage to the
tunnel. It trapped some of the men underground, and two days later another rock fell and blocked
all the ventilation. There was a 1% probability of rescuing the workers. Experts had to work
together to locate and rescue the men. After 69 days, the 33 men were rescued alive (Rashid,
Edmondson & Leonard, 2013).
Flexibility and adaptive
Flexibility and adaptive leadership refers to changing behavior appropriately depending
on the changing environment. The group of leaders involved in the rescue of the 33 miners had a
common goal and adapted different strategies to the situation to rescue the miners. The team
worked with different experts such as geologist, drilling experts, and mine workers to achieve the
rescue mission (Rashid, Edmondson & Leonard, 2013). The leaders allowed other people to be
empowered and innovative and at the same time monitor the situations hence adaptive and
flexible. The situation was time sensitive and risky. The lives of the miners depended on them,
and the longer they stayed trapped, the lower their chances of survival. They tried a different
plan that failed, and they were flexible enough to try something new to save the miners. The
leaders used a variety of techniques to find solutions. The leaders were adaptive as they had to
select different relevant strategies (Sharpe, & Creviston, 2013). The ideas had to be relevant to

ANALYSIS OF CHILEAN MINE RESCUE 5
be considered adaptive. They were able to reach out for new ideas from the Afghanistan, NASA,
Maptek, an Australian 3-D mapping software company who volunteered to help and all the ideas
were vetted. Sougarret also kept interviewing people and consulting to get fresh ideas. They were
flexible enough to seek other’s opinion.
Path-goal theory
This approach involves motivation and inspiring people to work toward a common goal.
The president, in this case, inspired his followers to work together and provided rewards. He first
created a situational awareness. The followers become motivated and goal oriented to receive
rewards. The president was also participative, supportive and directive a move that motivates the
followers to work more as their leader is involved (Northouse, 2016). The mining minister also
worked towards inspiring the technical team to cope with the failures. The leaders provided
motivation each time they failed by creating a safe environment and blamed nobody but learned
from all the failures. For example, the minister would ask when someone looked low if they are
ok and how their families were and asked if they needed help. The motivations inspire workers
to achieve more (Germain, 2017).
Communication effectiveness
The leaders were able to provide effective communication as they were able to recognize
the different interests of the stakeholders present. The leaders present were able to determine the
depth of damage and an experienced engineer Sougarret was informed to take charge of the
situation. Sougarret first investigated with the mine workers, geologists and drill experts who
were present at the mine where he learned there was a protocol in place in case the mine
collapsed. He was also able to determine the location of the refuge from the information
presented to him (Rashid, Edmondson & Leonard, 2013). The engineer then went ahead to

ANALYSIS OF CHILEAN MINE RESCUE 6
inform the families, and the people of Chile hope without disguising the truth. He was also able
to address the media to let them know of the situation and showed the people the uncertainty in
the operations. He was assertive while relaying information to the stakeholders which was
important to the operations (Haacke, 2015). The information was provided well to the
stakeholders involved. However, feedback was necessary as their might have been people in the
public who could have ideas to speed up the process as several lives were in danger. Also at the
beginning, there were no communications to the families or the media.
#4
Situational approach states that different situations require different leadership
(Northouse, 2016). They were able to determine two possible solutions in the prevailing
situations, and they were able to divide their forces into functional work teams to come up with
solutions to save time. The functional work team at the mine had some members to determine
procedures using the authority they possessed. They use an authoritative leadership style to guide
workers. At the same time, the trapped miners were able to establish democratic leadership
depending on their situation to find ways of surviving (Ferguson, 2011). The miners were able to
allocate resources and daily activities, determine living areas and waste disposal area and they
shared stories to pass the time. The situation made them come up with the democratic leadership
approach to enable them survive and focus of possibility of rescue (Rashid, Edmondson &
Leonard, 2013).
#5
The goal-path theory helped to understand the importance of motivation in any work
environment. Providing constant inspiration helps the team to stay focused and not give up
despite many failures as they learn from the mistakes and come up with better solutions

ANALYSIS OF CHILEAN MINE RESCUE 7
(Landrum, & Daily, 2012). For the situational approach, given that “different situations demand
different kind of leadership” (Northouse, 2016), as a mentor, providing different solutions in
different situations will be helpful. Depending on the level of the advice needed, a leader would
have to support their followers in different paths they wish to take and understanding their needs.

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References
Ferguson, E. D. (2011). What Adlerians Consider Important for Communication and Decision-
Making in the Workplace: Mutual Respect and Democratic Leadership Style. Journal of
Individual Psychology, 67(4), 432–437. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=75045208&site=ehost-live
Germain, J. (2017). Reflections on Leadership: Theory, Experience, and Practice. Quest
(00336297), 69(2), 169–176. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=s3h&AN=123150245&site=ehost-live
Haacke, O. (2015). Relocating Operations: Effective Communication Strategies. China Business
Review, 1. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=buh&AN=102645642&site=ehost-live
Landrum, N. E., & Daily, C. M. (2012). Corporate Accountability: A Path-Goal
Perspective. International Journal of Business Insights & Transformation, 4, 50–62.
Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=buh&AN=73307606&site=ehost-live
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice(7thed). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc
Rashid, F., Edmondson ,A. & Leonard, B. (2013). Leadership lessons from the Chilean mine
rescue. Harvard Business Review, 91(7), 113-134.
Sharpe Jr., J. D., & Creviston, T. E. (2013). Adaptive Leadership: The Way Ahead for
Sustainment Leaders. Army Sustainment, 45(1), 5–9. Retrieved from

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