McKinsey has removed a partner from his director position following a contentious exchange on LinkedIn with feminist author Julia Carreon, where he implied that women in leadership roles often adopt a victim mentality when companies face difficulties.
This decision was taken concerning Chris Bradley’s role at the McKinsey Global Institute after the heated debate, which was initially reported by Bloomberg.
The argument stemmed from a post by Carreon discussing the concept of “the glass cliff,” a term used in academia that suggests women and minorities are likely to be chosen for CEO positions in struggling companies.
Bradley, who works out of Australia, criticized Carreon’s argument, saying, “This theory is a very convenient way to always be a victim in the rain and empowered in the sunshine,” according to a screenshot from their discussion shared with The Post.
In response, Carreon, co-author of “Walking on Broken Glass: Navigating the Aftermath of the Glass Ceiling,” pointed out that the term was established by respected psychologists from Exeter over two decades ago.
She suggested that McKinsey could utilize AI tools to learn more about the concept instead of launching personal attacks.
Carreon, who previously worked at Citigroup and founded the advocacy group Fifth Wave Feminists, expressed that Bradley’s comments undermined the work she and her co-author had done.
“It shows that McKinsey partners don’t live their values,” she noted in a brief conversation.
Earlier in their exchange, Bradley questioned whether women’s challenges in reaching CEO roles had shifted to the difficulty of the jobs they assume. “Is this actually a thing?” he asked.
Carreon retorted, asserting, “It’s not my job to educate you on what a Glass Cliff is,” and highlighted that as a McKinsey employee, he should be able to find that information himself.
Bradley replied humorously that it was “funnier to go back and forth with you than talk to a bot.”
This dispute led McKinsey to conduct a review of Bradley’s conduct, ultimately stripping him of his leadership roles within the institute and various internal committees, though he remains a senior partner. The firm hasn’t confirmed whether this change affects his salary.
A McKinsey spokesperson stated, “Following our conduct review process, we have removed the partner from his leadership roles, including at the McKinsey Global Institute. His public comments fell well short of the standards we expect at our firm.”
McKinsey has a history of addressing workplace challenges women encounter, having collaborated with Sheryl Sandberg’s LeanIn group on annual surveys focusing on this issue.
The 2020 survey even referenced the idea of the glass cliff, discussing obstacles women face, particularly in fields like healthcare.
In her exchanges with Bradley, Carreon referred to the survey, remarking, “It’s called Glass Cliff precisely because it describes a phenomenon that impacts women. I’m sorry but aren’t people from McKinsey & Company supposed to know these things?”
Carreon and co-author Shannon Nutter’s recent book addresses how female leaders are often positioned to fail and how to recognize negative behaviors in companies.
After news of Bradley’s demotion, Carreon commented on LinkedIn, “His own public words harmed him. And let’s face it: He lost a corporate title, not his job.”
Bradley did not respond to a request for comments from The Post.
