Last week I wrote about Andy Arrogant. In the interview process I described, Andy had no fire service experience yet arrogantly presented himself as being not only qualified to be a fire chief in five years, but deserving of that rank.
In and of itself, the word deserve isn’t the problem, it’s how we use it.
Consider two scenarios.
Joe and Betty have built a business from the ground up. For four years, they’ve worked tirelessly without taking a break. One evening, exhausted, Joe looks across the table and says, “We deserve a vacation.”
He’s right. Their statement reflects effort, sacrifice, and earned rest.
Now meet Firefighter Frankie. He’s been on the job for three years and is testing for driver/operator. When asked why he wants the position, he responds, “I’ve been here three years, I know the organization, people like me—and I deserve a shot.”
Same word. Completely different meaning.
Joe and Betty’s use of deserve comes from sacrifice and need. Frankie’s use comes from entitlement. It carries an underlying message: “You owe me.”
That’s where leaders must be discerning.
In the fire service, promotions are not participation trophies. Time on the job does not automatically equal readiness for responsibility. Skill matters but character matters more.
When someone believes they “deserve” a position, they often stop asking the more important question: Have I earned it?
Entitlement blinds us. It shifts our focus from growth to expectation. It replaces humility with assumption.
The difference between these two mindsets is critical. One is grounded in reality and gratitude. The other is rooted in ego.
And in high-risk, high-trust professions like the fire service, ego is a liability.
