About Glasscliff
An independent guide to high-stakes leadership roles, built on the research and on practical experience of crisis appointments.
Why we exist
In 2005, researchers Michelle Ryan and Alex Haslam gave a name to something many leaders had felt: the top job that arrives only when the organisation is already in trouble. Twenty years later, the glass cliff is widely discussed but rarely made practical. Most writing about it stops at the definition.
Glasscliff starts where the definition stops. We help leaders assess a specific role, negotiate the conditions they need, and plan their first 100 days. We help boards appoint leaders to difficult roles without setting them up to fail. And we keep an honest, sourced record of what the research does and does not show.
What we do
- Guides written from the research and checked against primary sources.
- Free tools that run in your browser: the Risk Scanner, Offer Protection Builder, 100-Day Planner, Readiness Check and Board Appointment Check.
- Confidential reviews that connect leaders and organisations with vetted advisers.
- The Edge Prize, recognising turnaround cases, student research and leadership stories.
- The Glass Cliff Pulse, an anonymous survey of people who have held high-stakes roles.
Independence and funding
Glasscliff is funded by advertising (Google AdSense), labelled sponsorships, Advisor Network listings, referral fees from advisers, and reader support. Sponsors and advertisers never see or shape editorial content before publication. We are not affiliated with the researchers we cite, their universities, or any company or product with a similar name. Read our editorial policy and disclaimer.
Our principles
- Evidence first. We link to sources and report studies that disagree.
- Patterns, not people. We do not label named individuals as glass cliff cases.
- Useful over clever. Every page should help someone make a better decision.
- Your data stays yours. Tools run locally; forms are used only to respond to you.
Get in touch
Use the contact page for questions and corrections. If you are interested in this website, the Glasscliff.com domain, sponsorship, advertising or a partnership, contact the owner.