Judy Smith, former White House deputy press secretary and president of Smith and Company, said that crisis situations highlight a lot about how to lead and how not to lead.

Her distinguished co-panelists, Donna Brazile, former campaign manager for Vice President Al Gore and managing director of Brazile & Associates LLC, and Brande Stellings, vice president, advisory services, professional services practice for Catalyst, discussed with Smith the characteristics of a leader, in or out of a crisis. They also addressed how GCs can move things forward during a crisis and what GCs should be thinking about before a crisis hits.

In times of crisis or not, a general counsel must be aware of his or her role and how he or she should communicate with the board. However, as noted by moderator Ann McLaughlin Korologos, former US Secretary of Labor and former chairman, RAND Corporation Board of Trustees, that role can oftentimes be conflicted given the GC’s seat on the executive management team while reporting to the board and keeping it advised.