Imagine being one of the 33 Chilean miners trapped half a mile underground – where you will stay for at least another 3 months. Talk about a test of stamina, will and enthusiasm. It really is a dramatic case study of people needing to get on, understand what matters to each other, and be able to support and encourage each other. There are some humbling lessons for Teams and Leaders here : people, essentially strangers, are thrust together in a hostile (business) environment and have to rely on each other, support each other and deliver on each others’ behalf. The stakes clearly are not as high, and often there are one or two people secretly tunnelling out – but really success boils down to having a common vision, trusting and caring for each other, and being prepared to compromise and accommodate others. And where does Leadership really come from in these situations: Role, Spirit, Aptitude, or simply the person that they respect, admire and have faith in enough to follow?

To bolster their spirits, the Uruguayan football team from 1972 (whose plane famously crashed in the Andes where they spent 72 days before being rescued) are going to Chile to support them. Even after all these years, that Team have a remarkable bond and ability to come together when needed. So my hat off to the Chilean miners. Their courage is touching and I am continually amazed by how astonishing people are.