Why Great Content Isn’t Enough: The Leadership Edge Every Business Needs

When I first met Todd Diebel, CEO of Second Sight Systems (SSS), an industry-leading telecommunications company in St. Louis, he immediately stood out for his sharp vision, strategic thinking, and business savvy. He invited me to produce content, integrated with key insights from the SEO team, to help establish brand leadership and generate leads online.

As I listened and analyzed opportunities, I realized my role needed to exceed delivering great industry journalism. At their stage of development SSS – a legacy engineering firm in need of a modernized brand —  required a creative coach to reimagine how their story, brand, and outreach lived online.

With every meeting, I stepped more fully into the role of coach — and Todd encouraged me, as our dynamic grew in trust and synergy. We brainstormed what “industry leadership” could look like online for a GE partner in telecommunications. I encouraged the team to think ahead of their previous website — a static grid of boxes and text — and instead envision a dynamic, visual, resource-rich hub. Together, we built the roadmap.

I drew heavily on lessons from my earlier work with Sanchez Oil & Gas, where I served as a Communications Specialist. At Sanchez, I worked directly with the CEO, Investor Relations Lead, and Brand Manager to redesign their investor-facing site. I facilitated competitor analysis, led UX discussions, and aligned messaging so that every piece — from annual reports to web copy — worked in harmony. Those leadership muscles prepared me to bring the same visionary process to SSS.

With Todd’s team, I helped to coordinate the hiring of our talented graphic designer, Nermin Zimic, lead a rigorous website comparative analysis, and facilitate the redesign of every page. That meant juggling interviews with technical engineers, guiding design strategy, and shaping content flow — ensuring the final product felt captivating, leading a visitor on a journey of opportunity. When we paired the new site with thought-leadership content and community impact highlights, the results became clear: increased visibility, stronger engagement, and higher-quality leads.

The biggest win? Realizing that great content only gets you so far. Powerful growth demands leadership, vision, and innovation from all members of the team.