Former C-suite advertising executive Sophie Williams discusses the persistence of the glass cliff phenomenon, where women are often set up to fail in top leadership roles during crises. She offers advice for navigating these challenges and reshaping the corporate world's narrative.
The glass cliff phenomenon puts women in tough leadership roles during crises, hindering their success.
The glass cliff extends to all underrepresented individuals, impacting leadership diversity and organizational outcomes.
Deep dives
The Continued Impact of Glass Cliff on Women in Leadership Roles
The glass cliff phenomenon, identified nearly 20 years ago, continues to affect women in leadership positions, placing them in challenging roles during times of crisis or organizational underperformance. Research shows that women are often appointed to such roles in organizations ranging from corporate to academia, with notable examples like Marissa Mayer at Yahoo and Theresa May as UK Prime Minister. Despite some exceptions, the persistence of the glass cliff negatively impacts women's careers, business outcomes, and society at large.
The Intersectionality of Glass Cliff Across Underrepresented Groups
While initially focused on women, the glass cliff phenomenon extends to all underrepresented individuals, including racially marginalized men. This experience arises when individuals deviate from the traditional white male leadership image. Research indicates that the glass cliff can manifest at various leadership levels, not just at the board or CEO positions, highlighting the broader impact of this phenomenon.
Challenges and Solutions to Addressing the Glass Cliff
The glass cliff persists due to biases associating crisis management with women's perceived soft skills and societal norms favoring men during success and leadership transitions. Female leaders appointed during crises face heightened scrutiny, limited support, and increased risk of termination. Organizations must strive to diversify leadership at all levels to combat the glass cliff phenomenon and cultivate a more inclusive and equitable environment for leaders from underrepresented groups.
It's been nearly two decades since the term "glass cliff" was coined; it refers to the tendency for women to break through the glass ceiling to top management roles only when there is a big crisis to overcome, which makes it more difficult for them to succeed. In short, senior female leaders are often set up to fail — and this continues to happen today, as recent examples from business, politics, and academia show. Sophie Williams, a former C-suite advertising executive and global leader at Netflix, has researched why the glass cliff remains a problem and offers advice for women facing them — as well as lessons for the broader corporate world. She's the author of the book "The Glass Cliff: Why Women in Power Are Undermined - and How to Fight Back."
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