Many of us have heard of the glass ceiling and perhaps the glass network (old boys' network), but there is a new catchphrase in gender equity dialogue known as the glass cliff phenomenon.
This is where a woman will find herself in positions of leadership that no-one else wants, or when failure of the organisation is likely.
Well, the glass cliff phenomenon is alive and well in the New Zealand Warriors NRL team, and is not gender-specific, because very few coaches have managed to turn this franchise around and get the players to perform consistently week in and week out.
The poisoned chalice has been passed from Matthew Elliot to Andrew McFadden, and already the coaching vultures are circling, preparing to step in when the toxic nature of the team eventually takes its toll on McFadden as it did Elliot.
So who is the latest brave soul to take on the role of coaching the Warriors and why would they be able to succeed where many before them have failed?McFadden played for the Canberra Raiders for five seasons, the Parramatta Eels for one season and the Melbourne Storm for two seasons.
This does not reveal much about his coaching ability but does suggest he can relate to the players and understand what it is like to be in their boots.
Being able to relate to the players may be a good starting point for anyone considering taking on this team.
In terms of his coaching career, McFadden earned his coaching stripes at his old club, the Canberra Raiders, in 2005 and 2006.
He then took on an assistant coaching role with the Catalan Dragons in 2007-08 and returned to the Raiders for four years.
Last year, he became the assistant coach to the now rejected Elliot, and by some twist of fate has found himself in a caretaker head coaching role until the end of the season.
In sport, and in New Zealand, leaders are perceived to be strong physically and mentally, doers, and saviours.
Unfortunately, leadership requires the engagement of not only leaders but followers as well, and the most effective teams are those where the role of leader changes as the task requires.
The Warriors players need to take a long, hard look at themselves and start pointing the finger at themselves.
The Warriors management and governing board also need to look at the bigger picture and figure out what exactly is going on in this team culture that leaves the coach feeling unsupported and frustrated.
Is McFadden the one to save the Warriors?
Will he have the right combination of personality, managerial qualities and technical/tactical knowledge to get this Warriors team humming for what remains of the NRL season or is he doomed from the outset?
Only time will tell, and in the meantime the players will keep on getting paid, and the next sacrificial coach will be willing to step into their potentially ill-fated shoes.
