What Is a Glass Cliff?

What Is a Glass Cliff?

Let me explain what a glass cliff is. It's a situation where women get promoted to higher positions right when a company is in crisis, during a recession, or facing major duress—times when failure is almost guaranteed. Basically, you're setting these women up to fail. Researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK came up with this term after studying the FTSE 100 Index companies. They saw that promoting women often leads to negative outcomes, like standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall if things go wrong.

Key Takeaways

Here's what you need to know directly. A glass cliff means women often land leadership roles in industries hit by crisis or downturn, positioning them for failure. It stems from the glass ceiling idea, that invisible limit on women's rise in organizations. By promoting women, companies get a scapegoat if she can't fix the mess. It makes the company look progressive, even if she fails, and then they can quietly bring back a man without backlash.

Understanding a Glass Cliff

You see the glass cliff in fields like finance, politics, tech, and academia. It's about pushing women into tough spots, whether that's a failing organization or a bad situation, which makes their performance likely to suffer. The cliff metaphor means they're at risk of a big fall and failure.

Why does this happen more to women than men? One reason is that in a struggling company, leadership tenures are short and risky. Putting a woman there gives the company someone to blame if she can't turn things around. As Martin Lanik, CEO of Pinsight, puts it, in crises, companies protect their 'valuable' talent—usually white men—and sacrifice those seen as less essential, like women and minorities.

It also boosts the company's image. If she fails, they still get points for being progressive and can replace her with a man. If she succeeds, great—they pat themselves on the back. These roles are hard to refuse because women get so few leadership chances, even with the high failure risk.

Important Note

Remember, leadership potential isn't tied to gender. By sidelining women from top roles, companies miss out on top talent. Letting the glass cliff continue creates environments where female leaders can't perform at their best.

Special Considerations

Women on a glass cliff often struggle due to a lack of mentors and barriers to the 'good old boys’ club'—that informal network where men trade favors and info. Strategic networking is key to advancing, but women get shut out of these male-dominated circles, missing crucial connections.

Fast Fact

While glass cliff usually applies to women, it also covers challenges for minorities and marginalized groups in leadership promotions.

History of the Glass Cliff

Back in 2004, researchers Michelle K. Ryan, Julie S. Ashby, and Alexander Haslam from the University of Exeter looked at FTSE 100 companies on the London Stock Exchange. They found companies appointing women to boards had performed poorly in the prior five months. They argued sexism drives this, as leaders avoid risking prominent men's reputations.

They followed up with a study on law students, published as 'Legal Work and the Glass Cliff.' It showed males and females equally likely for low-risk cases, but females preferred for high-risk ones doomed to fail.

Other Research

In 2013, Alison Cook and Christy Glass studied Fortune 500 CEO transitions over 15 years. They confirmed glass cliff theory: minorities (women and people of color) get promoted to poorly performing firms more than white men, facing bigger obstacles. They noted minorities get replaced by white men after declines, calling it the 'savior effect.' Only four of 608 transitions had a female CEO following another.

University of Missouri research by Vishal K. Gupta, Sandra Mortal, and Daniel B. Turban showed female-led firms are more targeted by activist investors. Male CEOs faced activism 6% of the time, females 9.4%; wolf packs 1% vs. 1.6%. That means 50% higher risk for female CEOs.

Impact of a Glass Cliff

Women and minorities already face barriers climbing the ladder. The glass cliff makes it impossible, setting them up to fail after overcoming obstacles. As Anna Beninger from Catalyst says, women are handed the mess to clean up in crises.

This isn't just bad for them—it's unsustainable for businesses. Without support in a crisis, it's tokenism, not real progress. Failure leads to exits, more disruption, and reinforces stereotypes about women and minorities in leadership.

Warning

If you think you've faced workplace discrimination, file a complaint with your local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office, in person or by mail. Have details like dates, employer contacts ready.

How to Prevent a Glass Cliff

First, recognize and name it—that's key, per Ryan, Ashby, and Haslam. Acknowledge biases and educate on them.

If you're a woman or minority, research your company's financial health, stock info, and industry trends to assess risk. Tap your network for advice on promotions.

In negotiations, ask how success is defined: How will the board evaluate me? What risks are they taking? What's the turnaround timeline? Did others turn it down, and why? Factor risk into salary talks—men negotiate four times more than women, so ask for more using the position's risks.

If you accept, leverage your strengths; women often excel in emotional intelligence. And it's fine to say no if failure seems likely—many ousted women don't get another shot.

Tip

Don't take a promotion if research shows high failure probability and clear warning signs.

Glass Cliff vs. Glass Ceiling

The glass cliff builds on the glass ceiling, that invisible barrier holding back women and people of color from top roles. Coined by Marilyn Loden in 1978, popularized later, it means unspoken biases block promotions, with men dominating executive levels. Breaking it means shattering stereotypes to reach leadership.

Example of a Glass Cliff

Take Marissa Mayer at Yahoo! in 2012. Appointed after losing market share to Google, she was the third CEO in under a year. She resigned in 2017 after failing to turn it around, with critics blaming her personally, not the company's state. Replaced by white male Thomas McInerny.

Or Jill Soltau at JCPenney in 2018, the first female CEO amid losses, closures, and digital struggles. With huge debt and COVID-19, the company bankrupted in 2020, and she was ousted by December.

When Do Women Encounter a Glass Cliff?

Women in roles like corporate executives or political candidates face it more during crises or downturns, when failure risk is highest.

What Do Companies Hope to Gain From a Glass Cliff?

It keeps the status quo by reinforcing that women and minorities can't lead. Without support, their failure supports the bias.

How Can Women Avoid a Glass Cliff?

Companies must provide resources for success, like women-specific development and blind hiring to cut bias. Individuals can research and negotiate, but the real fix is on companies to stop it.