Most leaders think they're communicating clearly.
Very few actually are.
In this episode of Life's a Pitch, Jared Gibson sits down with Rob Johnson, a multiple Emmy award winning former Chicago TV news anchor who spent more than two decades on air at ABC and CBS. Today, Rob runs Rob Johnson Communications, where he works with executives, founders, and leadership teams to sharpen their messaging, communicate with confidence, and connect when the stakes are highest.
Rob shares how his career in broadcast journalism shaped the way he thinks about leadership communication. From interviewing presidents and political leaders to delivering breaking news live on air, he learned quickly that clarity, trust, and authenticity matter far more than polished language or perfectly crafted talking points.
The conversation explores Rob's upcoming book Over Communicate, which focuses on a problem many organizations face today: leaders believe they are being clear, but their teams are hearing something entirely different.
They unpack why communication breakdowns happen inside organizations, how leaders can create environments where people feel heard, and why transparency and repetition are often the difference between confusion and alignment.
Rob also shares stories from his years as a news anchor, including high pressure interviews during major political moments, the discipline required to communicate clearly under pressure, and the lessons leaders can learn from broadcast journalism.
The episode also explores:
• Why leaders often believe they are communicating clearly when their teams feel the opposite • The communication habits that build trust inside organizations • What executives can learn from broadcast journalists about clarity and delivery • The realities of building a business after a career in television news • Why strong leadership communication requires repetition, transparency, and vulnerability
The conversation closes with reflections on leadership, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and the idea that communication is not about saying something once. It is about making sure it is truly understood.
Key Takeaways
✅ Why leaders consistently overestimate how clearly they communicate ✅ The habits that help executives build trust with their teams ✅ How broadcast journalism shapes confident leadership communication ✅ Why repetition is essential to strong leadership messaging ✅ The realities of entrepreneurship after a long career in media
Connect with Rob Johnson
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-johnson-communications/ Website: https://robjohnsoncommunications.com
This episode is powered by Outworks.
Outworks helps B2B companies build real, repeatable executive content engines through founder-led strategy, tight systems, and AI-powered content infrastructure designed to scale without losing authenticity.
Learn more at https://www.outworks.io