In the Loop is a podcast for leaders who want to drive performance, shape culture, and connect people to what matters most. Uncover common communication challenges leaders face and walk away with practical strategies to overcome them while increasing clarity, engaging others and leading with purpose.
Mitch Frazier is the president of IBJ Media, the parent company of the Indianapolis Business Journal, Inside Indiana Business, the Indiana Lawyer, and the IBJ Podcast Network. His path there runs through the U.S. Army in Iraq, a marketing role at Exact Target through its acquisition by Salesforce, and CEO roles at Reynolds Farm Equipment and Agribusiness nonprofit AgriNovus, before reconnecting with a twenty-year colleague to join IBJ Media a little over a year ago.
In this conversation, Mitch and Katherine dig into what it actually takes to lead through communication. Mitch shares the origin of his “Friday note” habit, a weekly practice he picked up from a general he worked under and has carried into every organization he’s led since, and why the discipline behind it matters as much as the note itself. They talk about the difference between informing and communicating, why leaders don’t need all the answers so much as the ability to ask good questions, and how humility and consistency build the kind of trust that lets a team move fast without losing each other.
Additional Resources:
Connect with Mitch Frazier on LinkedIn
Learn more about IBJ Media
Connect with Katherine Coble on LinkedIn
Learn more about Borshoff
Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn
Learn more about PeopleForward Network
Key Takeaways:
- Mitch’s “Friday note” habit, borrowed from a general he served under, became a weekly discipline he’s used to keep distributed teams connected at every company he’s led.
- Communication isn’t just informing people, it’s creating a two-way channel where people feel safe to reply, ask questions, and push back.
- Leaders don’t need all the answers. They need the discipline to ask good questions and listen to the people closest to the problem.
- Katherine’s one-on-ones with every employee, done twice a year, surface nuances she’d never catch from the top of the org chart.
- Trust gets built through clarity and humility together: being honest about what didn’t work, and being clear about where the team is headed next.
Katherine Coble
If you’ve ever felt out of the loop, you know it can be a culture killer, a productivity breaker, and a confusion builder.
Great communication is the operating system of good leadership. And In the Loop is a podcast for leaders who want to drive performance, shape culture, and connect people to what matters most.
Hosted by Katherine Coble, this monthly series uncovers common communication challenges leaders face and offers practical strategies to overcome them. From listening first to speaking with clarity, deciphering change and connecting to values, In the Loop helps leaders create an environment of trust, alignment, and inspiration.
Whether you’re looking for a more effective way to connect with investors, elevate your brand story with customers, or inspire team members to embrace change, clear communication is your best tool in your leadership toolbox.
Each episode is packed with actionable insights and takeaways to help you increase clarity, engage others and lead with purpose.
You know where you’re going. Now you need to bring others into the loop.