The Glass Cliff

Why Women in Power Are Undermined - and How to Fight Back

Sophie Williams

$44.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Macmillan Business
11 June 2024

Social discrimination; Feminism & feminist theory; Social groups; Management: leadership & motivation; Personnel & human resources management

'Every current and aspiring leader needs to read this book' - Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis, Sunday Times bestselling authors of The Squiggly Career and You Coach You

'Clever, brilliantly researched and vitally important' - Dawn O'Porter, bestselling author of The Cows and Cat Lady

The Glass Cliff is a conversation about what happens when women break the rules, and break through The Glass Ceiling.

Have you ever wondered why there are so few success stories of women in business leadership? Or maybe you've wondered what life is really like on the other side of The Glass Ceiling? The world of work is supposedly changing, embracing diversity - yet are the opportunities we're giving to women really equal to those of men?

Drawing on almost 20 years of research from around the world, The Glass Cliff phenomenon - whereby women are often only hired in leadership roles when a business is already underperforming, meaning their chances of success are limited before they ever even start in the role - is well established, but little known. Until now.

This is the story of The Glass Cliff: a story of a structural inequality disguising itself as the personal failures of women. When Sophie Williams gave her viral TED talk on the subject, she was subsequently flooded with accounts of confident, accomplished women who had taken what seemed like a dream leadership role only to quickly find themselves in a waking nightmare. Without the language to describe their experiences they had been left blaming themselves. But learning about The Glass Cliff enabled them to reframe and reexamine what they'd gone through.

Once we understand The Glass Cliff - once we can stand together and face it head-first - we can start to unravel so many other false narratives about women's leadership experiences that just don't make sense without it. By understanding the phenomenon, and by telling one another about it, we can affect the conversation, empower one another to overcome societal bias and, ultimately, change the world of work for women forever.

By: Sophie Williams
Imprint: Macmillan Business
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 30mm
Weight: 545g
ISBN: 9781035038732
ISBN 10: 1035038730
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 11 June 2024
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Author Website: http://sophiewilliamsofficial.com/

Sophie Williams is a professional speaker, the author of Millennial Black & Anti-Racist Ally, a TED speaker, the voice behind @OfficialMillennialBlack, and a racial equity consultant. As a speaker, Sophie regularly delivers keynotes, presentations, workshops and training sessions for businesses such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Barclays, the NHS, The Rio Ferdinand Foundation, UK Civil Service, Sky and Cambridge University. She leads frank and necessary discussions around race, gender and the intersection of the two, with a particular focus on Blackness and womaness and their impact on Black women's lived experiences in UK and US workplaces. Sophie's writing has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, Bustle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Refinery29, Elle and Grazia.

Reviews for The Glass Cliff: Why Women in Power Are Undermined - and How to Fight Back

Every current and aspiring leader needs to read this book -- Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis, Sunday Times bestselling authors of The Squiggly Career and You Coach You Clever, brilliantly researched and vitally important -- Dawn O'Porter, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Cows & Cat Lady Funny, infuriating and game-changing . . . an essential manual for every woman -- Annabel Rivkin & Emilie McMeekan, founders of The Midult Timely, useful and profoundly hopeful – a warm and accessible book -- Stella Duffy, bestselling author of Calendar Girl and Money In The Morgue Reading The Glass Cliff is like having a light switched on – so many of the experiences I've had and seen around me started to make sense -- Maryam Pasha, Curator of TEDxLondon Compulsory reading . . . any organisation that wants to remain successful & profitable should read this book -- Donna Patterson, workplace activist and founder of Let's Talk Work A hard hitting triumph . . . makes glaringly obvious how many women have been a victim of business malpractice. Masterful . . . this book arms the next generation of leaders with a vital tool to unlock true equality in the workplace for women -- Ben Pechey, author of The Book of Non-Binary Joy A compelling and enlightening read . . . offers validation, empowerment, and a path forward for challenging systemic disparities in the workplace -- Blair Imani, author of Modern HERstory Extensively researched, nuanced and inclusive, this defiant and definitive book is essential reading -- Hayley Nolan, bestselling author of Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies A must read -- Naomi & Natalie Evans, founders of Everyday Racism and authors of The Mixed Race Experience Thought-provoking and timely . . . enlightening and empowering -- Pippa Vosper, author of Beyond Grief