“If you keep working that hard, you’re making us look bad.”
I’ve heard that line too many times. And recently, I was stunned to hear it again—from a group of brand-new law enforcement graduates.
Two decades later, the same tired mindset is still making the rounds:
“Slow down—it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
“Stop doing so much. You’re making everyone else look bad.”
Let’s be clear: those sayings don’t build better officers.
They breed mediocrity.
We can’t expect our profession to evolve if we keep recycling excuses that reward laziness and punish initiative.
The Subtle Pressure to Fit In
It’s not lost on me that most of this comes from a place of insecurity. The desire to fit in—to be accepted—is a powerful force, especially when you’re new. No one wants to be the outlier or the “teacher’s pet.”
But here’s the paradox: our best officers often start as outliers. The ones who care too much. Who take the job seriously. Who still believe in what the badge stands for.
One young officer told me recently that a veteran pulled him aside and said, “You need to slow down—you’re making the rest of us look bad.”
He wasn’t bragging. He was confused.
He thought he was doing what we trained him to do—serve with energy, integrity, and initiative.
But that comment planted a seed of doubt.
And that’s how mediocrity spreads—not through policy, but through peer pressure.
The Message We Should Be Sending
So what do we tell our people instead?
It’s simple.
“Not everyone can work at my pace—and that’s okay.”
That statement is non-confrontational, yet firm. It offers grace without surrender. It lets the high performer continue doing what’s right without apologizing for it.
Because excellence doesn’t need an apology.
And for those who say, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” here’s the truth:
You’re not running too fast. They just stopped running a long time ago.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “My rule, in which I have always found satisfaction, is, never to turn aside in public affairs through views of private interest; but to go straight forward in doing what appears to me right at the time, leaving the consequences with Providence.”
That’s as true now as it was in 1770.
Doing what’s right will make people uncomfortable. It always has.
But their discomfort is not your burden to carry.
If someone else wants to do less, let them. But don’t slow down to match their pace.
You have work to do.
This Isn’t Just About Policing
This mindset problem isn’t unique to law enforcement. You’ll find it in every profession that rewards conformity over courage.
It’s the coworker who says, “You’re trying too hard.”
The boss who resents new ideas.
The team that mistakes enthusiasm for ego.
We’ve all seen it. The group that confuses comfort with wisdom.
The ones who stopped trying years ago, now serving as gatekeepers to keep others from shining too bright.
The problem is, when high standards are punished long enough, mediocrity becomes the norm. And once that happens, performance, morale, and purpose all decline together.
Culture isn’t built by what we say.
It’s built by what we tolerate.
What Leaders Must Do
Leaders have a duty to protect their pace-setters.
Because the ones who run hard and care deeply are the ones who move the organization forward.
Too often, leadership allows them to be quietly shamed or socially isolated. “You’re too intense.” “You’re taking this too seriously.” “You’ll burn out.”
But those individuals—the ones pushing boundaries—are the pulse of the profession. If we don’t protect them, we’ll lose them.
And when we lose them, we lose the soul of what makes the job meaningful.
The truth is, leadership isn’t about enforcing sameness—it’s about empowering strength. It’s about giving people permission to be excellent, even when it makes others uncomfortable.
That’s the foundation of culture. That’s how you build something that lasts.
So, to the officers just starting out—and to anyone in any profession who’s ever been told to “slow down”—here’s my advice:
Never apologize for your standards.
Never dull your edge to make others feel better about their own.
Never confuse acceptance with approval.
You were not hired to fit in.
You were hired to make a difference.
Let others find comfort in their pace. You have a higher purpose to pursue.
They can sleep soundly in the bed they’ve made.
You? You have work to do.
Excellence should never need an apology.