Some people spend their lifetimes trying to get rich. Persons who are wealthy and wise spend their time thinking about how to protect what they’ve amassed. For this reason, what good is wealth without wisdom?
At his level, Sharpe should have spent more time – at the front end – thinking about how his actions could impact his brand and his reputation, which are the currency for wealth. Instead he is embroiled in a public relations crisis and a legal nightmare over a relationship he had with a 19-year-old teen.
Here are six mistakes I believe Sharpe has made in the handling of this matter:
Sharpe’s first mistake was engaging with an alleged 19-year-old teen.
I cannot fathom why a 55-year-old man would want a romantic relationship with a 19-year-old girl. A lot of people will see this girl and think of the young ladies in their own lives; the matter will be repulsive to healthy women and men.
The next mistake Sharpe and his team made was releasing private texts.
The texts give the public entirely too much information about Sharpe as well as his accuser. While his team may have thought the messages would suggest a consensual relationship, they sour Sharpe’s reputation. If anyone gets a black eye for the racy messages it will be Sharpe; he has more to lose.
The third mistake was publicly naming his accuser.
This felt retaliatory as his accuser is listed as a Jane Doe in legal filings. Now that her name has been publicized, she could face intimidation, harassment, and threats.
The next error was labeling this situation ‘a shakedown.’
We are all ensnared by our own devices. No one works harder at a person’s downfall than an unhealed or unwell person themselves. To invest so heavily into building an enterprise and not spend commensurate time protecting oneself is foolish. Regardless of how he tries to spin this, much of the blame can be placed directly at Sharpe’s feet.
The fifth challenge for Sharpe is the way he has publicly spoken about his after-hours activities.
The public knows entirely too much about Sharpe’s personal proclivities. That is entirely because of what he has disclosed on his podcasts, Club Shay Shay and Night Cap. The wonderful thing about having a large platform as you can reach a lot of people. The downside of having a large platform – and being on camera – is that you have a massive digital footprint. And Shannon Sharpe has this huge online record of saying terrible things and disclosing too much information about his personal life. Instead of immediately believing he was innocent, the public will consider all the things he has said about women. This will not bode well for him over the long term.
The final error that Sharpe made was not accepting responsibility for his role in this problem.
Rather than acknowledging some level of responsibility, he immediately sought to place the blame on others. The public can forgive, but only once you accept responsibility.
In the end, Sharpe need not deflect or blame shift. There is no reason to go after attorney Tony Buzbee, nor his accuser. I don’t know their intentions and I do not know them personally. But regardless of their intentions, Sharpe made himself an easy target and that is foolish.
Jennifer R. Farmer is an author, lecturer and strategic communications advisor. Check out our blog posts and subscribe for updates.