Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino teeters on the Glass Cliff

“You have to communicate as vividly and clearly as possible that you are on a different trajectory. And the stronger the break with the past, the clearer the signaling,” says Haslam. “That is why women or members of other minority groups are often given preference under these circumstances.”

Yaccarino’s background in advertising, Twitter’s main source of income, certainly makes her a natural choice to try and salvage the company’s crumbling business. But experts who spoke to WIRED say one of the reasons women jump off glass cliffs into high-risk roles is that they generally have few other opportunities to take leadership positions, despite being highly qualified.

“For many women in leadership positions, their first chance to step into a role that is truly powerful is sometimes turning an entire division or company around,” said Coco Brown, CEO of the Athena Alliance, a network organization for women executives. in business.

That can make turning down a precarious glass cliff role difficult, even when the risks are obvious. According to Glass of the University of Utah, while women are more likely to be hired in times of crisis, they are also more likely to be blamed for the crisis itself and later replaced by a white male CEO in what researchers have dubbed the savior. effect.

“Very rarely do female CEOs get a second chance,” says Glass. “It’s a double whammy for female CEOs: These crisis appointments may be the only opportunities they have, and stepping into them puts their future leadership careers at risk.”

But, says Glass, women are often best suited to turn the tide. General Motors CEO Mary Barra famously saved the company from the brink of collapse after the 2008 financial crash. Anne Mulachy took over as CEO of Xerox as it faltered, making it profitable, before stepping down in 2009.

Yaccarino’s chances of success, says Sandra Quince, CEO of Paradigm for Parity, an organization that addresses the gender gap in businesses, will depend in part on how much time and freedom she is given to change course. The board’s support and Musk’s willingness to really let go of the reins could be crucial.

Musk has said that with Yaccarino as CEO, he will become Twitter’s executive chairman of the board, as well as the company’s CTO. He is also CEO of Tesla and of SpaceX, where President and COO Gwynne Shotwell is responsible for day-to-day operations.

“She will need the board to support her vision for the organization,” says Quince. “She’ll need someone to arrange air cover for her. In times like these when you’re trying to figure it out, no one is perfect and mistakes can be made.”

It may be tempting to see Yaccarino’s appointment as the cynical last breath of a failing company. But Brown of the Athena Alliance says Yaccarino’s bravery should be applauded whether or not Twitter proves salvageable.

“We shouldn’t say it’s set up to fail publicly, but that she’s decided this is her chance to try something heroic,” says Brown. “Most people think she’s going to fail. But wouldn’t it be cool if she pulled it out?” If Yaccarino pulls that off, it might be the most surprising twist of all in the spiraling story of Musk’s takeover.