There are so many heroes in the Chile mine rescue that it would be impossible to comment on and acknowledge all of them.  The entire scenario has an unreal atmosphere to it because most of us will never experience anything like this in our own lifetimes.  It almost seems like this amazing real life story is one of those Bruce Willis movies where Bruce saves the world in what would otherwise be an impossible situation against all odds.  For the first 17 days of their 69 day confinement the miners had no communication what so ever with the outside world.  But they never gave up hope.   

The miners themselves are heroes.  They organized themselves.  Did all the right things to survive.  At the same time, they maintained the order and discipline that was necessary for their emotional well-being.  The Chilean government is a hero.  They spared no expense on saving the men.  They didn’t hesitate to ask for help from other countries in order to have access to the best technology, engineering and equipment options available.  Although we haven’t heard much about them I’m sure the Chilean mining engineers had a great deal to do with the rescue.  The families were right there for their loved ones.  Holding vigil and praying for their safe return from inside the earth. 

The entire series of events has brought the entire world together. Waiting and watching.  Sharing in the elation of what the news media refers to as the “miracle in the mine”. 

But there was one news clip from the Associated Press (AP) that I found fascinating and can also be relate to business.  It was the American drilling team that punched through the hole after drilling over 2000 feet into the rock. 

The head of the drilling team, Jeff Hart, who is from Colorado, was in Afghanistan drilling wells for water for the U.S. military when he was called to Chile.  This guy is an expert.  The best at what he does.  His life is drilling.  He understands it like no one else.  Hart spent 33 days on his feet operating the drill that ultimately broke through to the miners in this amazing rescue effort.  This was the comment from Hart that caught my attention: “You have to feel through your feet what the drill is doing; it’s a vibration you get so that you know what’s happening,” explained Hart.   

As a CEO, company president or business owner, here are the questions you need to think about in regard to your business: Are you symbolically standing and feeling what is going on in your business?  Are you paying attention to your surroundings so that you know how to move forward with your business to be successful?  Or could the ground underneath your feet, symbolically, give way and cause an avalanche of rocks to fall and block your path to success?

There are many lessons from the Chile mine rescue that can be directly applied to your business.  What impressed you the most?  Take some time today to think about what made this rescue so successful.  Then think about how some of those same principles can be applied to your company in order to achieve your business goals.