Board Appointment Check
Twelve yes-or-no checks for chairs, nomination committees and search panels. See whether you are setting your next leader up to succeed.
Read the gauge the right way round
On this tool a higher score is better: it measures the support you are building around the appointment. The gauge colours show where the appointment sits, from well supported to set up to fail.
The twelve checks come from research on the glass cliff and the saviour effect and from common governance practice. They are explained in How to appoint a crisis leader without setting them up to fail.
Questions
Who should complete the check?
The chair or the nomination committee, ideally together, before the offer is made.
Our score is low. Should we delay the appointment?
Not necessarily. Most gaps can be closed quickly: a mandate letter, a board minute on resources and a named sponsor.
Can Glasscliff review our appointment?
Yes. Request a Board Appointment Review and we will connect you with an independent adviser.
Related guides
- For boards: how to appoint a crisis leader without setting them up to failA governance guide for chairs, nomination committees, CHROs and search panels.
- Race, ethnicity and the glass cliff: understanding the 'saviour effect'How the glass cliff extends beyond gender, and what happens when under-represented leaders are replaced.
- Twenty years of glass cliff research: what the evidence says, and where it disagreesA plain-language tour of the key studies, the null findings, and what a careful reader should conclude.