The New York Times did some investigative journalism and found that the completion of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s book came at an awkward time. Whilst the Guv had staff members running about typing, editing, and working with his publishers, other staff members were managing a crisis of numbers. It seems the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes that had been reported did not reflect the reality of the tragedy. Mr. Cuomo’s executive order that required nursing homes to admit COVID patients who had been released from hospitals meant that the raging virus was introduced into its most vulnerable population.
The timing of communications by senior staff members with legislators in an attempt to explain the discrepancies coincides with the critical timeline on the book’s completion and its publication date. Jesse McKinley, Danny Hakim, and Alexandra Alter, “Celebratory Memoir by Cuomo Undercut by Covid Data Report,” New York Times, April 1, 2021, p. A1.
Beyond the ethical problems of using public servants for his private external contracts, Mr. Cuomo is now also the “MeToo” Guv with allegations of sexual harassment percolating painfully into the news. Then there was the favoritism shown the Cuomo family and friends for COVID testing back when testing first began and kits were in short supply. Little wonder that Crown Publishing has stopped printing the books. Federal investigations, pending impeachments, and sexual harassment allegations do put a damper on book sales. American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the Covid-19 Pandemic has sold 48,000 copies. The title smacks of parody.
Read the book — Mr. Cuomo’s lectures and insights as well as his fault-finding in other leaders would be humorous if so many New Yorkers had not died in nursing homes or perished due to his lack of prior planning and minimal skills in execution. Perhaps the book is actually a tragedy. Or perhaps it should be a required text in every course on leadership — what not to do.
