Chilean Mine Rescue
In 2010, there was a massive collapse in the tunnels in the San Jose copper and gold mine in Chile, trapping 33 men underground and in desperate need of rescue (Rashid, Edmondson, & Leonard, 2013). The appointed leaders assigned to this rescue showed skillful thinking, and the unveiling of a complex framework, with high-pressure situations to integrate quick integrations with a rapid execution (Rashid et al., 2013).
Flexibility, Adaptability, and Communication
Sougarret, well-known for his leadership skills, and ability to maintain poise under stressful and high-pressure situations. As a leader, Sougarret demonstrated excellent flexibility and adaptability skills. The elite team selected by Sougarret created three distinctive plans allowing brainstorming of all plausible solutions that the team would attempt (Rashid et al., 2013). Sougarret accepted insight from other supporters that had implementable proposals, and those that did not work were told to leave. The situational approach was used to demonstrate a high degree of flexibility and control (Basu, 2016).
The flexibility was displayed by Sougarret exhibited participation at all levels including directing, delegating, and coaching. In this scenario, Sougarret allowed several groups with skills and experience in specific areas to take part in their field of training. He delegated the skill set of each person involved, keeping the ones that produced a better outcome toward the goal (Rashid et al., 2013).
Communication was essential throughout the entire mission and the stakeholders involved we updated and informed daily with the flexibility of changes and the changing of ideas (Rashid et al., 2013). Sougarret did this with an end state and as obvious as it...
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...n (Rashid et al., 2013).
This author feels that the leadership skills shown can be applied to real-life situations. The utilization of these theories allows others to participate and staying task-focused, being flexible, directive and supportive.
In conclusion, leadership takes more than one form of skill; it takes a variety of this expertise and the ability to have the flexibility to coach and lead others to accomplish the task given (Basu, 2016). Sougarret established a vision that could only be achieved with the value of others. His vision attracted, challenged, and united people from all over. The vision displaced was very challenging, making the participants fight even harder to achieve it. Sougarret’s vision was not to be done alone; he needed a great team, and with his advice and experience this led to the successful mission rescue of the miners in the mines.
There have been countless books, lectures, and and trainings, and retreats constructed around the idea of cultivating leadership in an individual. However, cultivating individuals’ ability to follow great leadership has received far less attention. Who are these people leading if each person within an organization is being trained to be a leader? The word follower has negative connotations, evoking the images of a weak, uncreative, milquetoast personality. However, Jimmy Collins, in his book, “Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness”, suggests that the ability to be led brings as much creativity, consciousness, and indeed leadership to an organization or team as the leader himself.
The case study The Blast in Centralia no. 5: A mine Disaster No One Stopped is a useful lens through which to identify potential pitfalls for national security organizations. The most powerful lessons that ought to be learned by the case study are twofold. First, political interference in the work of governmental organizations can lead to dysfunction and mission failure. Second, the failure to conduct independent oversight over a governmental organization—especially when its performance has been openly questioned—permits that dysfunction to continue unabated.
Leadership is contagious throughout the world and most importantly in the Army. It is not just my view, but of all leaders, at all levels, that organizations are responsible for setting conditions that lead to long-term organizational success. As I reflect on my experiences, through experience and observation, I realize how my values, beliefs, and perspectives about leadership continuously evolve over time. Recognizing these changes over time helps me better understand that people in organizations have different perspectives in life. This leadership narrative serve as important guiding principles for how I will lead at the organizational level and represents my thought, values and beliefs.
Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.
Kouzes and Posner remark that leadership experiences are ?voyages of discovery and adventures of a lifetime?[and] they are challenging explorations under rigorous conditions? (174). While this may be true, it is often in an extreme crisis situation that leadership is ultimately tested. This is the circumstance that Shackleton faced with his crew of twenty-seven, while stranded in the ice floes off the Antarctic Continent. Credit is due to the leadership of Ernest Shackleton; every member aboard the Endurance survived, and was finally rescued after six hundred and thirty-four days. Shackleton said of leadership, ?If you?re a leader, a fellow that other fellows look to, you?ve got to keep going? (qtd. in Morrell and Capparell 215).
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B., (2007). The leadership challenge, (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Sougarret had to change his approaches during the initial phase whenever the team encountered failures. This was due to the nature of the earth at the site of the accident, the emotions, nature of the accident and the pressure of the time. Another leader, the trapped shift supervisor, whose calming influence supported the other trapped miners to remain calm and hopeful about the eminent rescue (Rashid et al., 2013). The situational approach adopted by these leaders helped direct and support the team to rise to the situation and overcome the crisis (Northouse,
Leaders is an effective tool for summarizing and inspiring leadership, not in that it teaches tough strategies and manipulations, but that when looking at an overview of its content, Bennis and Nanus are essentially teaching human relations and human decency. All in all, this book highlights strategies for us all to be better in our lives and our everyday interactions.
To inspire and influence others, a leader must have many skills and abilities. As motivational speaker Jim Rohn, states, “ the challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” (2010) Moving an entire group of individuals toward a singular goal is a considerable undertaking. Without effective communication skills and a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished, one will feel like they are trying to herd cats rather than leading.
This paper describes about my leadership strengths and areas for growth/future study. It also included how these qualities are used in my daily work routine, self-assessment results and a brief explanation on Individual style in leadership.
"A leader is an individual (or, rarely, a set of individuals) who significantly affects the thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors of a significant number of individuals” (Gardner, Howard 2012). An essential part of a leader lies in their ability to motivate and influence people to follow their lead. Leaders are both men and women who have the ability to influence others in a community, control situations, connect with others and persuade others to follow them or the goals they define. To be a good leader one must set a good example and make correct decisions for difficult choices. I myself am implementing leadership skills into my every day life. Leadership skills are all around us. They can be applied to any situation where one may be required to take the lead. This can be
The combination of organizations and elements to make certain of effective search and rescue response.
The case study and readings in this class have painted a clear picture of the various ways one can be a leader, the catalyst that has inspired the least likely to lead to action and the many different capacities in which one is a leader. From the parent whose child is the victim of abuse to the CEO of a major corporation, leadership can spring forth and blaze trails never imagined by others. I learned that on my journey to executive leadership, I can begin leading in my current capacity as an analyst. I do not need to wait to be given the “thumbs up” to lead, as I can be a leader in many ways everyday. Leadership is not about magnificent speaking or major endeavors, “it is about coping with change” (Kotter, p.31, 2003). We all are subject to situation dealing with change daily, it is all about how we cope with it and how others interpret and accept our coping skills.
Many people associate leadership with a specific job title or form of power within an organization. However, through personal experience, I have concluded that leadership can come in many forms and position as well as from multiple sources of roles and job titles both with and without power. Based on the definition of leadership, anyone can be considered a leader as long as they have the ability to influence people to achieve a particular result or goal which benefits the organization or group as a whole. Individuals with a secure sense of self and understanding, acceptance of diversity within an organization tend to be the strongest leaders that not only make others want to follow, but they also encourage other leaders to gravitate to their
Leaders of the future will be faced with many challenges. As the world changes, we must adapt the ways in which we face these challenges, and in turn grow as leaders. A leader is not merely someone which commands a group or organization. A good leader exhibits the ability to take an average team of individuals and achieve greatness. Leadership is not supervision or leading. It is the ability to inspire or influence others towards the end goal. As Barendsen and Gardner stated (2006), “the best leaders are individuals who, in their work, exhibit three distinct meanings of good: (1) an excellent technical and professional quality and competence, (2) an ethical orientation, and (3) a completely engaged sense of fulfillment and meaningfulness” (p. 266). Good leaders must utilize all of these traits in order to meet the challenges of the future. A few emerging challenges that future