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

See Examples For:

glass cliff

The glass cliff describes a phenomenon where women and other minorities are promoted to leadership roles during times of crisis, setting them up for a high risk of failure.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

This dynamic, where a talented female leader inherits a collapsing situation, is so common in the business world that experts have a name for it: The glass cliff.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2025

“It’s part of an overall strategy: How do we make sure that women get into the pipeline, stay in it and aren’t on a glass cliff? Retention is hard and attrition is common,” Markgraf said.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2023

Ms. Hochul is now standing on the edge of a very high glass cliff.

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2022

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)