
When a company struggles, management tends to ‘think crisis, think female’. This leads to organisations promoting women into leadership positions to try to ‘save’ the company when the chance of failure is extremely high. This is known as the glass cliff effect, and unfortunately, Black women are disproportionately affected by it. In this post, we explore the glass cliff effect, how it impacts Black women, and what we can do about it.
What is the glass cliff effect?
The glass cliff effect is a phenomenon based on the idea that women are more likely to be promoted to leadership positions when organisations perform poorly. Michelle Ryan and Alex Haslam first used the term in a 2005 research paper in response to an article in The London Times that suggested an increase in female board members in UK companies resulted in worse performance (1).
Results from Ryan and Haslam’s research showed that:
When executive positions needed to be filled during times of crisis or poor performance, women were more likely to be chosen over equally qualified men
Male leaders were seen as a "safe choice" and preferred for roles with lower risk and greater chance of success
Participants viewed female candidates as better suited for risky leadership roles where the chance of failure was high
Since the effect was first described, a large body of research has developed to try and make sense of it. This research suggested; that multiple factors can contribute to women experiencing the glass cliff effect. This includes the kind of position that needs to be filled, the area that the company is performing poorly in, and the institutional context, as well as tokenism, scapegoating, and stereotypical perceptions of women being better at managing crises as we are seen as more cooperative and compassionate than men (2,3). Without adequate support, leading a poorly performing organisation can result in burnout and mental distress which may mean that women are less likely to apply for leadership positions down the line.
Black Women & The Glass Cliff

Almost 10 years after Ryan and Halsam first described the glass cliff, Alex Cook and Christy Glass explored how race may influence women’s experience of the glass cliff effect. Similarly to many other areas, intersectionality plays a role here too. Black women in glass cliff leadership positions are more likely to face additional burdens as we often face additional scrutiny and are penalised more harshly for failures. According to McKinsey’s 2022 Women in the Workplace report, ‘Black women leaders are more likely to have colleagues question their competence and to be subjected to demeaning behaviour’. In Runnymede’s 2024 report on understanding the experiences of Black Women in Leadership, respondents reported feeling as though they were ‘fighting while dying inside’. These extra societal demands can enhance the glass cliff effect and result in shorter periods of leadership for Black women.
If you follow global politics, you might have seen a recent example of this phenomenon in the appointment of former Vice President Kamala Harris as the US Presidential nominee for the Democratic party. When it seemed like former President Joe Biden and the Democratic party in general were losing popularity, Kamala was offered as a replacement candidate mid-way through the election cycle. As we’re all aware, Kamala did not win the US presidential election. A number of factors contributed to her loss, one of which may have been the glass cliff effect. In UK politics, following the loss of the Conservatives during last year’s General Elections, Kemi Badenoch, a Black British Nigerian woman was voted in as leader of the Conservative party. We’re still in the early stages of Kemi’s leadership and she has yet to face any major challenges as leader so it’s not currently clear if or how the glass cliff effect will affect her tenure. Despite the many other issues faced by the Conservatives, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the history books come to know Kemi Badenoch as the woman who failed to revive the Conservative party.
Is the glass cliff effect real?
Some scientists believe that the glass cliff effect is a myth. A study that examined performance data from 233 UK and German companies found ‘no support for the glass cliff effect’ (4). The study showed no significant difference in the decline in performance from companies that hired female executives compared to those that hired males, suggesting that women were just as likely to be promoted to leadership positions as men when a company was performing poorly.
What can we do about it?

As individuals, we can support our fellow Black women in leadership roles. Sometimes having someone who looks like you that you can lean on, trust, and commiserate with can help you stay strong when times are tough. Beyond that, we can help push for organisations to invest in more diverse leadership pathways to ensure that women are promoted more often and not just when a company is in crisis (5).
In conclusion, the glass cliff effect remains an ongoing challenge that women face. The glass cliff effect can negatively affect women’s chances of maintaining leadership positions. The intersection of racism and gender discrimination can mean that Black women, in particular face additional burdens such as increased scrutiny and harsher penalties for failure. Until organisations promote women into leadership positions more equitably, we can support each other to help overcome the glass cliff effect.
By Esther Ansah, Blog Writer
References
1. Ryan MK, Haslam SA. The Glass Cliff: Evidence that Women are Over-Represented in Precarious Leadership Positions. British Journal of Management. 2005 Jun 1;16(2):81–90.
2. Ryan MK, Haslam SA, Morgenroth T, Rink F, Stoker J, Peters K. Getting on top of the glass cliff: Reviewing a decade of evidence, explanations, and impact. Leadersh Q. 2016 Jun 1;27(3):446–55.
3. Bruckmüller S, Branscombe NR. The glass cliff: When and why women are selected as leaders in crisis contexts. British Journal of Social Psychology. 2010 Sep 1;49(3):433–51.
4. Bechtoldt MN, Bannier CE, Rock B. The glass cliff myth? – Evidence from Germany and the U.K. Leadersh Q. 2019 Jun 1;30(3):273–97.
5. Bruckmüller S, Ryan MK, Rink F, Haslam SA. Beyond the Glass Ceiling: The Glass Cliff and Its Lessons for Organizational Policy. Soc Issues Policy Rev. 2014 Jan 1;8(1):202–32.
super thought-provoking work ! i had no idea was the glass cliff effect was, but i have a better understanding of it now.