\u201cIf you keep working that hard, you\u2019re making us look bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve heard that line too many times. And recently, I was stunned to hear it again\u2014from a group of brand-new law enforcement graduates.<\/p>\n
Two decades later, the same tired mindset is still making the rounds:
\n\u201cSlow down\u2014it\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint.\u201d
\n\u201cStop doing so much. You\u2019re making everyone else look bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be clear: those sayings don\u2019t build better officers.
\nThey breed mediocrity.<\/p>\n
We can\u2019t expect our profession to evolve if we keep recycling excuses that reward laziness and punish initiative.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not lost on me that most of this comes from a place of insecurity. The desire to fit in\u2014to be accepted\u2014is a powerful force, especially when you\u2019re new. No one wants to be the outlier or the \u201cteacher\u2019s pet.\u201d<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
One young officer told me recently that a veteran pulled him aside and said, \u201cYou need to slow down\u2014you\u2019re making the rest of us look bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t bragging. He was confused.
\nHe thought he was doing what we trained him to do\u2014serve with energy, integrity, and initiative.
\nBut that comment planted a seed of doubt.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s how mediocrity spreads\u2014not through policy, but through peer pressure.<\/p>\n
So what do we tell our people instead?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot everyone can work at my pace\u2014and that\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n That statement is non-confrontational, yet firm. It offers grace without surrender. It lets the high performer continue doing what\u2019s right without apologizing for it.<\/p>\n Because excellence doesn\u2019t need an apology.<\/p>\n And for those who say, \u201cIt\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint,\u201d<\/em> here\u2019s the truth: Benjamin Franklin once said,\u00a0\u201cMy 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.\u201d Doing what\u2019s right will make people uncomfortable. It always has. If someone else wants to do less, let them. But don\u2019t slow down to match their pace. This mindset problem isn\u2019t unique to law enforcement. You\u2019ll find it in every profession that rewards conformity over courage.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the coworker who says, \u201cYou\u2019re trying too hard.\u201d We\u2019ve all seen it. The group that confuses comfort<\/em> with wisdom.<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n Culture isn\u2019t built by what we say. Leaders have a duty to protect their pace-setters. Too often, leadership allows them to be quietly shamed or socially isolated. \u201cYou\u2019re too intense.\u201d \u201cYou\u2019re taking this too seriously.\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ll burn out.\u201d<\/p>\n But those individuals\u2014the ones pushing boundaries\u2014are the pulse of the profession. If we don\u2019t protect them, we\u2019ll lose them.<\/p>\n And when we lose them, we lose the soul of what makes the job meaningful.<\/p>\n The truth is, leadership isn\u2019t about enforcing sameness\u2014it\u2019s about empowering strength. It\u2019s about giving people permission to be excellent, even when it makes others uncomfortable.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the foundation of culture. That\u2019s how you build something that lasts.<\/p>\n So, to the officers just starting out\u2014and to anyone in any profession who\u2019s ever been told to \u201cslow down\u201d\u2014here\u2019s my advice:<\/p>\n Never apologize for your standards. You were not hired to fit in. Let others find comfort in their pace. You have a higher purpose to pursue.<\/p>\n They can sleep soundly in the bed they\u2019ve made. Excellence should never need an apology.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cIf you keep working that hard, you\u2019re making us look bad.\u201d I\u2019ve heard that line too many times. And recently, I was stunned to hear it again\u2014from a group of brand-new law enforcement graduates. Two decades later, the same tired mindset is still making the rounds: \u201cSlow down\u2014it\u2019s a marathon, not a sprint.\u201d \u201cStop doing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_custom_body_class":"","_custom_post_class":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insight","category-leadership","category-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
\nYou\u2019re not running too fast. They just stopped running a long time ago.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThat\u2019s as true now as it was in 1770.<\/p>\n
\nBut their discomfort is not your burden to carry.<\/p>\n
\nYou have work to do.<\/p>\nThis Isn\u2019t Just About Policing<\/h4>\n
\nThe boss who resents new ideas.
\nThe team that mistakes enthusiasm for ego.<\/p>\n
\nThe ones who stopped trying years ago, now serving as gatekeepers to keep others from shining too bright.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s built by what we tolerate.<\/p>\nWhat Leaders Must Do<\/h3>\n
\nBecause the ones who run hard and care deeply are the ones who move the organization forward.<\/p>\n
\nNever dull your edge to make others feel better about their own.
\nNever confuse acceptance with approval.<\/p>\n
\nYou were hired to make a difference.<\/p>\n
\nYou? You have work to do.<\/p>\n