If you’re working in corporate
or in politics
or in another type of organization
you haven’t founded
and you’re great at what you do,
you will be offered
a top leadership position
sometime in the future.
If you’re a woman
or a person of color
or another visible minority,
that leadership position
is likely to be a sh*tty one.
The organization
is in trouble
and there’s a slim chance
the next leader
can resolve that trouble.
This is called
the glass cliff
and it is extended
to people
the organization
believes are expendable,
people they can blame
when it goes as badly
as they think it will go.
As a ‘bonus,’
they can then say they promoted
a woman or a black man or a person in a wheelchair
in the past
and it went terribly
so they’ll never make that ‘mistake’ again.
If you accept the position,
you will likely fail.
They expect you to fail
and, by withholding all their support,
they will do their d@mnedest
to ensure you do fail.
But
you likely won’t
become the leader
of that organization
under any other situation.
The choice is
personal.
Whether or not
you accept the position
will depend
on your personal perceptions of success
and your personal goals.
But realize that
you ARE being walked out
on that glass cliff.
You WILL likely fail.
And that failure
will impact you
for the rest of your life.
Everyone will
always know,
however,
you held that esteemed position.
The choice is yours.