Until recently Luis Urzua was a man unknown to the world.
Luis Urzua, the Simple Chilean foreman become an overnight hero and leadership example used across many global forums, management seminars and now my blog…
In 2010, the San Jose copper-gold mine in northern Chile caved in trapping himself and 33 men 700 meters below the ground. Luiz single-handedly coordinated the survival and rescue of the men. The story is told of how he assumed a leadership role and organized the men on how to cope with the situation in order to survive. Detailing every aspect and condition of the situation underground, he made a precise map of the surrounding and coordinated with the team above the ground for the rescue efforts. Eventually, he was the last man to be rescued after the others and with calmness, he said: “It’s been a bit of a long shift.”
It isn’t easy having or convincing people to follow you. To lead, it requires a set of attributes that suit each circumstance. If you look at Luiz Urzua’s story he displayed every quality of a good leader, just to name a few:
- Influence and Inspiration: He inspired the Men by making them focus on survival and not despair about the situation for the entire 16 days under 700 feet and limited food provisions
- Confidence and Courage: He showed courage by shouldering the responsibility of most extraordinary kind, by putting the men on 12-hour shift schedule, putting in place a food ratio plan, moved the men to a safer spot and coordinating rescue efforts between the miners and rescue team
- Effective Coordination and Communication: Despite being trapped underground with little food rations no idea when they would be rescued, Luiz coordinated the rescue plan with the miners and rescue team including holding 3 daily briefings with the Doctor, Psychologist and Rescue Miners on technical aspects
- Creative and Innovative: Luiza using his Nissan Terrano as an office, he organized the trapped men and space into the work area, sleep area, and sanitary facility. He believed the men need to have a resemblance of a normal life to survive and cleverly used the headlights of the mining tracks to simulate sunlight.
Under the same circumstances, very few people would have done what he did. Some would have panicked and desperately tried to dig their way out, a move that could’ve left them trapped forever. However, Luis found leadership through a dire situation, and the others followed him.
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