What Is Chris Cuomo Doing to Himself
The media talent talks about his ideation of killing former bosses
Chris Cuomo has waded through controversy before. He’s no stranger to putting himself in bad situations and being negatively judged for highly questionable decision-making. The latest incident to go on his character and reputation “resume” is another doozy.
Two wild headlines:
Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo: 'I was going to kill everybody and myself' after firing (Business Insider)
Chris Cuomo Confesses He Was Ready To “Kill Everybody, Including Myself” After CNN Firing (Deadline)
Publicly admitting he was thinking of killing everybody — and himself afterward, is crazy poor judgment, professionally and personally, unless Cuomo was being interviewed by police, which he wasn’t.
Of course, saying and doing are two different things and humans do have sick images in their head at times when they feel violated.
Yet as a public figure and one talking about news, Cuomo didn’t do his reputation any favors moving forward by exhibiting another example of him as a hotheaded and a person exercising poor judgment.
He also had to create doubts in the mind of his current employer, NewsNation, of whether he is stable enough to be around co-workers should Cuomo ever become triggered and emotionally flooded in resentment and rage in the future.
His explanation that part of the reason for his emotional intensity is that he is Italian is ridiculous sounding. Cuomo is using a stereotype as an excuse so he doesn’t feel as out of control as he looks.
It’s not working, Chris.
When we conduct ourselves in a manner that is egregiously unprofessional and reckless on an occasional, semi-regular or regular basis, oftentimes we reach a tipping point where our behavior becomes too much for others in the work place, business and our personal lives to tolerate.
The consequences become painful. We don’t see them coming but only because we are too blind or full of ourselves.
Is Cuomo getting close to that boundary line? Who knows. Yet one thing is certain, Cuomo is much closer to it than he is a safe distance away.
His struggle with self awareness, ego, attitude, an unwillingness to learn, adjust and course correct means he is not lessening the probability of further incidents to lower “risk “and protect his career.
Instead, Cuomo’s self-indulgent thinking is putting himself in harms way. Public figures don’t always get forever enabled. Cuomo should realize history is not always kind to those who fail to learn its lessons.
Michael Toebe is the specialist at Reputation Quality, assisting people further build reputation as an asset and responsibly, ethically protecting, restoring or reconstructing its well-being.