Glass Cliff: Leadership Risks for Women in Crisis

November 15, 2023 3 min read Leadership Women in Business Corporate Governance Glass Cliff Women Leadership Corporate Crisis Diversity and Inclusion Managerial Challenges

Explore the concept of the glass cliff in leadership, where women often face elevated risks when promoted during organizational crises.

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Understanding a Glass Cliff

The glass cliff is a phenomenon identifying the precarious position women and minorities are often placed in when promoted to leadership roles during corporate crises or downturns. Coined from the more well-known term ‘glass ceiling’, which describes invisible barriers to advancement, the glass cliff outlines not just a barrier but a perilous drop that might follow a hard-won promotion.

Key Takeaways

Predicament of Placement: Women are frequently elevated to high-stakes roles during times fraught with challenges, increasing the potential for failure.
Origin Story: Developed from the term glass ceiling, the glass cliff adds a dynamic of danger to the concept of upward mobility in organizations.
Blame Game: Promoting women in turbulent times provides a convenient scapegoat for faltering companies, offloading blame for deeper systemic issues.
Progressive Posturing: Companies might earn progressive points for appointing women, irrespective of the outcome, manipulating public perceptions.
Rebound Reappointment: A failed female leader’s exit often paves the way for the reinstallation of male leadership, reinforcing gender biases.

Special Considerations

Navigating a glass cliff can be akin to tightrope walking without a net. Women not only face ingrained corporate challenges but also lack the support systems that might buffer against the stark realities of leadership. The absence of mentorship and barriers to informal networks, often termed the ‘good old boys’ club’, exacerbate the isolation.

While it’s a term predominantly associated with women, the glass cliff also extends to minorities and other marginalized groups, highlighting broad issues of diversity and inclusion in leadership dynamics.

History of the Glass Cliff

The term was academically introduced in 2004 by researchers Michelle K. Ryan, Julie S. Ashby, and Alexander Haslam of the University of Exeter, using data from companies listed in the FTSE 100 Index. Their findings unveiled a pattern of women being appointed to boards during periods of marked corporate instability.

Laughing Off the Ledge

Here’s a thought: Maybe organizations should install transparent barriers at the edge of these cliffs—corporate safety rails, if you will, to prevent all that talent from taking an unintended dive!

Glass Ceiling: The unseen, yet unbreakable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of qualifications or achievements.
Tokenism: The practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to be inclusive to minorities, especially by recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of equality.
Diversity Quotas: Targets set by some companies to increase the number of women or minorities in certain positions to combat systemic imbalances and promote inclusivity.