Big mouth strikes again! Last week saw two highly successful men sabotage their careers and public images with controversial and inappropriate statements. First was Charlie Sheen, whose hit sitcom “Two and a Half Men” has been cancelled following insults he made about the show’s creator. Who’s laughing now?

Meanwhile, the world of high fashion was rocked after Dior designer John Galliano was arrested for making alleged anti-Semitic comments about a couple in a Parisian bar. Though Galliano has since filed an anti-defamation suit in response, new accusations and a shocking video showing him making slurs have surfaced. The fallout? Dior has suspended the designer and is expected to show him the door soon.

Here we have two men at the top of their careers making foolish mistakes that could cost them everything. Did the power go to their heads? Probably. But the subsequent fallout has shown that, whether you’re the highest-paid actor on TV or a mid-level manager at a bank in Anywhere, USA, your private behavior does affect your career and image.

Ask yourself this: Are you engaging in behavior that could hurt your career? Off-color jokes during happy hour, vicious gossip, inappropriate blogs or YouTube videos, and wild antics can all have repercussions. Imagine that everything you post online will be read by your boss, and that everything you say will be overheard. How does that make you look? Remember that you are representing your company. If you tarnish their image, they will have no choice but to get rid of you.