MENTAL MODEL · M3052

The Glass Cliff

BusinessHigh supportManagement

Included

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-31

CORE DEFINITION

Women (or minorities) are more likely to be promoted to leadership positions when an organization is facing a crisis, decline, or the brink of collapse, compared to men. This means their tenure often comes with high risk and high failure rates, as if standing on a cliff made of glass. -

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Risk assessment for promotion. - This is a cruel workplace trap. When you suddenly get a seemingly glamorous promotion opportunity, don't rush to celebrate; check whether the company is at a 'glass cliff' moment. If so, you may just be the chosen 'scapegoat' or 'fall guy'. Taking on such a position requires great courage and very clear exemption clauses.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

The glass cliff refers to the phenomenon where women are more likely to be promoted to leadership positions when an organization is in crisis, because the risk of failure is high in crises, and success reinforces the bias that women are good at firefighting. Proposed by Ryan and Haslam in 2005.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/1

Practice this model in one real situation:

Assess whether the organization is in a crisis or downturn at the time of appointment. Identify patterns of pushing minorities forward during crises. Before taking on a role, weigh the risks, authority, and available resources.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

Learning progress0%

account_treeGenealogyexpand_more

menu_bookReferencesexpand_more

Source support: Explicit

link
zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8E%BB%E7%92%83%E6%87%B8%E5%B4%96ZH · Explicit
verified

RELATED MODELS