Breaking the Cycle: Embracing the Next Generation of Practitioners
It’s fascinating—and honestly, frustrating—that many career fields still view younger professionals as a threat rather than an opportunity.
There’s an unspoken ego that exists in certain organizations, where senior members seem uncomfortable with the idea of someone younger holding authority, possessing advanced knowledge, or progressing more quickly than they did.
But why wouldn’t we want the next generation to be better than ours? Why wouldn’t we want them to advance further, learn faster, and innovate beyond what we achieved?
That’s how progress works. That’s how any profession evolves.
A Culture That Holds Us Back
In public safety, security, and emergency management, this mindset still lingers.
Some practitioners with twenty or thirty years of experience feel threatened when someone new or with a few years of experience steps in and begins excelling. Instead of mentoring and celebrating that enthusiasm, they often dismiss or criticize it—forgetting that they, too, were once new and eager.
I Was That Young, Eager Professional
I know this firsthand because I was that person.
I came into the field very young, ready to learn, contribute, and grow—but too often, that eagerness was met with resistance rather than encouragement. Instead of seeing potential, some saw competition. Instead of guidance, there was gatekeeping.
It was a struggle to stay motivated when the very ambition that drove me forward seemed to make others uncomfortable.
And I’ve seen it happen to countless others. Talented young professionals who enter this field with passion and purpose are too often made to feel like they don’t belong until they’ve “earned their time.”
A Systemic Issue
The problem isn’t that young professionals lack skill. It’s that many organizations suppress their potential through outdated hierarchies and ego-driven cultures.
In too many workplaces, eagerness is punished instead of encouraged. The result? Innovation is stifled. Young professionals become discouraged. Institutional knowledge fades when older practitioners retire without passing it on.
When the next generation finally steps into leadership, they often lack the mentorship that could have prepared them for success. They were never taught to foster the growth of others—because no one did that for them.
The cycle repeats: ego replaces mentorship, and stagnation replaces progress.
Breaking the Cycle
We lose twice in this process—first when experience walks out the door with retirees who don’t share their knowledge, and again when organizations fail to nurture those who remain. Over time, that erosion weakens entire institutions.
The only way to stop it is through intentional mentorship and cultural change.
Senior professionals must choose to empower the next generation rather than compete with them.
True leadership isn’t measured by how long you’ve held a title. It’s measured by how effectively you prepare others to lead after you.
The Path Forward
If we can shift our mindset to view the success of younger practitioners as a reflection of our own success—not a threat to it—we can finally build a culture that values progress over pride.
The future of public safety, security, and emergency management—and every profession—depends on it.
Your Turn
How can we do better at empowering the next generation in our fields? Have you experienced this culture firsthand—either as the eager professional or the mentor who chose to uplift others?
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Isaiah La Masters is a public safety and emergency management professional with extensive experience in physical security, critical infrastructure protection, and large-scale emergency preparedness. He is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Red Slice Group, LLC, and has served in multiple roles supporting emergency coordination, training, and exercise at the state and local levels. Isaiah holds an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Political Science, a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Public Safety—Homeland Security at Liberty University. Passionate about leadership and organizational resilience, he is committed to strengthening collaboration between agencies, responders, and communities to build a safer, more resilient world.
