From Nine to Woolies, Qantas and more: Why companies turn to women leaders in times of crisis

The recent appointment of Catherine West as Nine’s new chair, following the sudden departure of the former chair Peter Costello, inevitably brings up discussions about the “glass cliff”.

But automatically labelling this as a “glass cliff” appointment mitigates Catherine West’s deep experience, expertise, and work history. It also disregards, diminishes, and undermines women as effective and impactful leaders in a crisis. 

“Glass cliff” refers to the tendency to appoint women to leadership roles during times of crisis, setting them up for a high risk of failure, because their reputations are seen as expendable or they’re only given a leadership chance when things are already dire.