Fearey president and CEO Aaron Blank recently sat down for a LinkedIn Live conversation with John Johnson, former U.S. diplomat who spent more than two decades navigating high stakes communications across multiple administrations. From Kabul to Brussels to Cambodia, Johnson’s perspective offers powerful lessons for any organization facing rapid change or crisis.
Crisis demands speed, clarity and trust
Johnson described his time in Kabul during the fall of the Afghan government as the most defining moment of his career. What began as a routine assignment quickly became a life-threatening evacuation effort as he and colleagues worked to pull Americans and Afghans to safety.
“There was so much happening, we could not compete with the images,” he said. “This was never going to be a communications victory. What we could do was clarify what was actually happening on the ground.”
“In any crisis, you have to be out there quickly, because if we are not telling our story, somebody else is,” Johnson shared. A mentor once summed it up for him: “You have to be first, but you have to be factual. If you do not have facts, you always have process. You can always say something.”
That ability to move fast, he emphasized, relies on trust between leadership and their communications team. When internal doubt slows decision making, the narrative is lost before you ever speak.
Get comms in the room early
One of Johnson’s strongest messages was that communicators should not be brought in only when something goes wrong.
“If you want me there at the crash landing, I need to be there at the takeoff,” he said. “Communicators can see around corners and anticipate crises before they come, but if we are not in the room, we get called in at the last minute and asked to clean it up.”
“People hire us to be the gut check,” echoed Blank. “I think of crisis communications as being authentic and transparent. Trust your gut. What you think should be done is usually what you should be doing.”
Transparency builds buy in and shapes narrative
Johnson also discussed the balance between sharing information and protecting sensitive details.
“Nudging people toward transparency is always better, because that is the only way you can achieve buy-in,” he said. “If you keep the door closed, you create space for people to invent their own stories.”
In an environment where misinformation spreads rapidly, that principle matters more than ever. Even when full details cannot be shared, explaining the process helps maintain trust and reduces speculation.
Communications is mission critical
Across the conversation, Johnson underscored a simple truth: communications is not optional.
“Comms is such a critical part of any policy push, product launch or business venture,” he said. “I have seen what happens when comms is not in the room and the disaster that follows.”
As organizations navigate leadership transitions, heightened expectations and an always on media environment, the role of communications has only grown in importance.
To hear more of John’s stories and insights from his diplomatic career, watch the full LinkedIn Live here: From Kabul to the White House: Crisis Communications in the Line of Fire