'Crunch talks' | GSK CEO fights to save her role - what does this say about 'crisis leadership' skills?

• Emma Walmsley, Chief Executive of pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline, is due to justify her leadership to the shareholders of the company, after a year of downturn in profits

• It raises the question about what skills are needed to take companies through this turbulent time?

• Worryingly, it seems many companies don’t. Data suggests 71% of organisations do not feel their leaders are able to lead their organization into the future

This week, the boss of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Emma Walmsley is facing the tough prospect of justifying her leadership to the shareholders of the company, following a challenging year for the business. Walmsley, who has been in her role since 2017, must go in front of the key group and explain why, in a year where pharmaceutical companies have effectively dominated the news cycle and become household names for their key progress in transforming the world’s fight against the coronavirus, GSK has underperformed against its competitors in revenue, profit and share price.