glass cliff

American  

[glas klif] / ˈglæs ˈklɪf /

noun

1. a situation in which a woman or minority has advanced professionally at a time when adverse circumstances or crises make it more likely for the person to fail at the job.

   Hired to boost sagging morale, the CEO is facing the edge of a glass cliff.

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Usage

What does glass cliff mean? The glass cliff is a metaphor for putting women and other minorities into leadership positions during times of crisis. It suggests they are getting set up to fail, as if getting pushed over a cliff.

Etymology

Origin of glass cliff

Coined in 2004 by Michelle K. Ryan ( 1948– ) and S. Alexander Haslan ( 1962– ), British psychologists, on the model of glass ceiling ( def. )

Example Sentences

But to many, Ley's glass ceiling looked an awful lot like a "glass cliff", and it felt like it was only a matter of time before she lost her grip and slipped off it.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

Perhaps the most sympathetic reason Williams gave for the glass cliff phenomenon is that sometimes an institution wants to signal they’re shaking things up by promoting someone who isn’t a cookie-cutter white guy.

From Salon • Sep. 26, 2025

The glass cliff theory holds up in business as well as politics, and, according to a 2011 Harvard Business Review report, “does not seem to apply to organizations with a history of female leaders.”

From Seattle Times • May 15, 2023

Corporate titans hand the reins of failing corporations like Yahoo to women, just before they push them over the glass cliff, the apparent landing place after one shatters the glass ceiling.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2020

Not so far behind Jim Bridger and his telescopic glass cliff, that little touch about the mile-posts.

From Down the Yellowstone by Freeman, Lewis R. (Lewis Ransome)