We’ve all heard of the “glass ceiling” that stands between women and top jobs. However, it’s also important to avoid the dangers of the “glass cliff.” The glass cliff concept was developed by Dr. Michelle Ryan and Professor Alex Haslam from the University of Exeter and examines what happens when women and other minority groups take on leadership roles. Their research found that women tend to be appointed to leadership positions that are associated with an increased risk of criticism and failure.
Fast Company also recently reported on the work of Utah State University researchers Alison Cook and Christy Glass who found that corporate boards are more likely to promote women and minorities to top leadership roles in times of crisis, then replace them with more “traditional” leaders when things improve. The problem is women are almost set up to fail, because if things don’t improve, that justifies companies pushing out so-called “risky” hires. Cook and Glass call this process the “savior effect” since, in the majority of cases, companies replace women and minorities with white men.
Shraysi Tandon, New York-based business reporter for CCTV America was quoted in Forbes as saying that women are more likely to be promoted to the top – whether it’s CEO or at any C-suite level – when the company is facing a downturn or a crisis. “That’s when boards are more open to appointing someone other than the traditional white male CEO. And among CEOs leaving office over the past 10 years, a higher share of women have been forced out than men (38% of women vs. 27% of men), because when a company isn’t recovering from a crisis, it’s often the people at the top who get axed,” she said.
This research proves that not only do women have a harder time moving up the ladder, the opportunities they do get are often riskier. This could be because women are viewed as caretakers or “fixers” and brought in to clean up a mess. Or it could be what Tandon said, “Most decision makers in companies are men, so when a precarious or a risky position opens up that might have your head on the chopping block, men might want to protect their fellow in-group members, that is other male colleagues.”
So how do you avoid the glass cliff in a promotion offer?
Take your time: Don’t jump headfirst into the big offer; pace yourself. Haslam recommends women carefully learn the ins and outs of an organization, establish their footing in higher roles and keep a certain amount of skepticism.
Build a network. For women, true strength comes from collaboration, not competition, so build a trusted group of employees and colleagues that can guide, support, and advise you if the need arises.
Take a closer look. Take your time and really look into the position. If the company has rapid turnover at the top, maybe it’s not that they are doing a bad job, maybe the company is failing. Take some time to talk to colleagues to gain a better perspective and get a handle on potential pitfalls.
Ultimately, when in doubt, sit it out. Don’t take a job that could be setting you up for failure just to climb the ladder. If you don’t have a choice or see the opportunity as the only way to gain leadership, be very careful and get as much support from the people around you as you can. When we recognize and fully support women in leadership positions, we eliminate the risk of the glass cliff. It is time to lead. By working together, we can push the doors to equal opportunity wide open, so our sisters can take their rightful seats at the table in good times, and in bad.
After You Break Through the Glass Ceiling – How Do You Navigate the Glass Cliff?
