Teamwork - Tom Holmoe

This week's lecture was given by Tom Holmoe, Director of Athletics at BYU. This lecture was one of the best lectures that I listened to this semester for this class. One adage he gave us I particularly liked: "Vision without effort is daydreaming, effort without vision is drudgery." I thought it was a good lesson. Especially in my life because I had been going through these problems. Sometimes, I feel that I have goals and desires, but I am not doing anything to bring these dreams to pass. So I forget myself and work hard to get things done. Then, when I look up, I realize that I've worn myself out after a short period of time. So I lift up my head, and remember what it is that I am working towards. By combining vision with diligence, life becomes truly productive and inspiring.

Another thing that was memorable about this presentation was the idea of fire-starters and fire-fighters. Fire-starters are people who bring you up. They are people who, wherever they go, light fires. They help people to see the silver lining in the grey clouds; they lift up those around them to help them realize their God-given potential; they feed your passions and your desires.
Now, on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are fire-fighters. These are people who, whether done intentionally or unintentionally, bring you down. These people are people who see the glass of milk as half-empty. These people don't want, nor expect you to succeed. They discourage you, and have the cumulative effect of drawing you away from your dreams and desires.
Tom Holmoe's advice in pertaining to these two categories of people was that we should surround ourselves with fire-starters and get away from fire-fighters. On a basic, needs-based level, this advice is relevant. Constantly listening to words of discouragement are very harmful to you, while listening to words of encouragement are very good for our health and strength. However, there were some points brought up in our lab section that provoked a little more thought. What if you are on a team with a fire-fighter? Then it wouldn't be so simple as getting away from that person. Even with fire-fighters, it is necessary to draw upon the strengths of that team member to produce the best results in the best environment. I delved more into why people might want to bring me down.

Sometimes, people want to bring others down because they feel the other is better than them. They feel threatened by the other, and they don't like others taking up all the "glory." However, if the other can be a leader and foster an atmosphere in which they do not take up all the attention, but make sure to bring about an atmosphere in which the fire-fighter is recognized for his/her efforts, ultimately that fire-fighter's need to be recognized will be resolved. Then the fire-fighter will look to others to help them. Thus it is that we, as leaders, must respect and love for the fire-fighter whom we may have hardships with. Then, it is possible for them to focus their energies and talents on constructive efforts to build up their skill-base, and contribute to them, instead of wasting their energies caught up in being critical of others and cynical. I realized that was a solution. However, even when we respect and love that person, that person still maintains an attitude of criticism and cynicism, or if that person becomes consumed only with self-glorification, it is still the best thing to respect and love that person instead of seeking to "teach him a lesson."

To be a fire-starter, I realized that I must be a visionary. I must be able to see the potential in people, to believe in that potential, so that I can contribute to their growth by stoking their flames. Luckily, none of my roommates are fire-fighters. However, they are not fire-starters. They mostly like to keep to themselves, and are content with working for themselves. The next step that I can see from here is to help them become fire-starters as well. I can be an example to them, by being the best fire-starter I can be. When they realize what I am doing, I know that they will seek to bring about good all around them as well.