What I Learned from Don Faul on Leading with Radical Transparency in Hard Times

Leading teams through volatility demands more than strategy decks—it demands conviction and clarity. That’s why I was eager to learn from Don Faul, CEO of CrossFit, whose leadership journey spans a combat zone and a corporate board room. He spent 8 years as a platoon commander in the U.S. Marine Corps, then took on roles at Google, Facebook and Pinterest, the latter of which he served as the Head of Operations. Few leaders have stress-tested their principles across cultures this different, and that perspective is invaluable for product management leadership. One theme we explored head-on: whether micromanagement is always a bad thing. In my experience, it isn’t binary. In moments of genuine risk—customer incidents, safety-critical launches, or brand-defining bets—short, explicit periods of hands-on leadership can help a team move faster and learn safely. The key is to set clear exit criteria, communicate the why, and anchor on outcomes vs output OKRs so the team understands what success looks like—and when autonomy returns. We also dove into what it takes to build a long-term company vision that actually energizes people. A credible vision marries a bold, emotionally resonant narrative with a concrete path of near-term milestones. In my role leading product management at HighLevel, we anchor that narrative in the customer’s pain, make the outcomes measurable, and translate the vision into crisp, sequenced bets. When teams can see how this quarter’s work ladders to a multi-year north star, execution energy skyrockets. All-hands meetings are another place where leadership either compounds trust—or depletes it. The most common mistakes I see: status-report theater, a sea of vanity metrics, and avoiding the hard questions everyone is already whispering about. My playbook is simple: lead with what’s hard, be explicit about trade-offs, highlight real customer stories, and tie priorities back to outcomes vs output OKRs. Then make space for unfiltered Q&A and follow up with written decisions so the operating system stays transparent. We also discussed what it takes to lead when things feel like they’re going off the rails, which plenty of startup folks are feeling right now. In uncertain markets, I default to over-communication: weekly updates on goals, financial runway and scenario plans; decision logs that explain what changed and why; and repeated clarity on the next three most important priorities. When the path gets rocky, transparency isn’t a virtue signal—it’s an operating mechanism that preserves momentum and dignity. Don unpacked lessons on embracing transparency when things aren’t going well, and also shared his experience having to wind down a company. My own approach in that situation is to move quickly and humanely: communicate early, share the specific criteria behind the decision, offer as much support as possible, and be crystal clear on timelines and logistics. People can handle tough news; what erodes trust is ambiguity and delay. For anyone navigating the IC to manager transition, there’s a powerful throughline in these lessons: leadership is context-aware. Your job shifts from owning tasks to designing systems—communication cadence, decision frameworks, and coaching—so that outcomes persist without your constant presence. The earlier you learn to set vision, define outcomes, and create feedback loops, the sooner your team compounds value. If you’re building in this market, remember: radical transparency is not just about sharing everything; it’s about sharing the right things at the right altitude, at the right time. Clarity on vision, grounded metrics, honest all-hands, and humane leadership in adversity—these are the habits that keep teams inspired and resilient. You can follow Don on Twitter @donfaul

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