How to Scale the Glass Cliff

Amid the shattered remnants of the proverbial glass ceiling lies a lesser-known but equally impactful phenomenon: the glass cliff. Professors Michelle Ryan and Alex Haslam originally coined the term in 2005 to describe the tendency for women, and later minority groups, to be appointed to leadership positions during times of crisis or downturn. Research suggests these leaders often inherit situations fraught with complexity and uncertainty and are expected to clean up the mess left by predecessors. Instead of the metaphorical ascent up the corporate ladder, these individuals often start out teetering precariously on the cliff’s edge, facing insurmountable challenges.

Societal beliefs that women are better suited for nurturing and caretaking roles rather than positions of power and authority, and the lower stakes of a company in distress to “take the risk” of hiring a woman or minority candidate, can lead to appointments of professionals lacking requisite experience. These roles are less likely to yield a win, and these factors, in turn, can reinforce implicit bias against hiring these leaders later in higher-performing companies. This creates a vicious cycle that undermines efforts to build more diverse leadership pipelines.

While token hires without adequate experience most commonly fall off the cliff, merit-based hires of professionals with strong track records also encounter it. Examples include Marissa Mayer’s appointment as Yahoo’s CEO, Theresa May’s succession as the U.K.’s prime minister and, more recently, Teresa Gould’s hire as commissioner of the PAC-12 sports conference. Each role embodies elements of the glass cliff: Mayer assumed her role amid turmoil, declining revenue and fierce competition; May inherited a deeply divided party and country, as well as overwhelming opposition to a Brexit deal; and Gould assumed her role after the exodus of 10 of the 12 participating schools. Each leader had relevant training and past success, but encountered many obstacles while enduring extensive criticism and blame for problems others created. The disproportionate threat of these roles to their professional credibility reflects a risk for anyone contemplating the cliff.

In spite of the inherent risk, there may be upside for someone considering leading a company in turmoil. While one should intensely scrutinize these opportunities, for some this may be their chance to demonstrate capabilities well suited for the challenge. And, if armed with the following strategies, one can proactively avoid or successfully scale the cliff:

• Seek skill development and advancement opportunities rather than waiting for the call to serve in a precarious position.
• Work for inclusive organizations that actively promote women and minorities into leadership roles under normal circumstances, rather than primarily as crisis managers.
• Get paid for the risk. Leading through a crisis is not a charitable act. Only consider opportunities where compensation accounts for the professional and reputational risk.
• Manage the narrative. If you’re inclined to accept a crisis-generated leadership role, invest upfront in internal and public messaging. This can help manage expectations and proactively define more realistic success metrics for the role.

By building supportive networks, applying diverse skills and assessing opportunities for not only professional, but personal growth, you will be better prepared to more securely approach, and ultimately scale, the glass cliff.