Karen Salmansohn – Your To-Die For List: What Matters When Productivity Isn't the Point
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
What makes someone quit a six-figure advertising career to write books that help people think differently? In this episode of Legendary Leaders, host Cathleen O'Sullivan sits down with Karen Salmansohn—bestselling author, behavioral change expert, and the creative force behind NotSalmon.com—whose sharp wit and mortality-driven wisdom will make you rethink everything on your to-do list. Karen shares why fun isn't frivolous—it's fuel. She breaks down the science of why laughter literally shakes ideas loose, explains why her "e-pee-phanies" in the bathroom cracked more creative codes than...
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Stop Being So Damn Helpful: The Curse of the Over-Responsible Leader
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
Are you the person everyone turns to because you'll "just handle it"? The one replying to emails at 11pm, rewriting your team's work, or silently resenting the people you keep rescuing? In this solo episode, Cathleen O'Sullivan tackles a behavior that's as exhausting as it is common: over-functioning in the name of being helpful. Cathleen reveals why constant helpfulness isn't kindness—it's a control strategy that stifles growth, creates dependency, and keeps you small. She shares the story of a leader who was praised for being dependable but passed over for promotion because she...
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Darryl Stickel – Share, Don't Scare: The Science of Building Trust When the World Feels Broken
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
What makes a complete stranger walk up to you on a bus and say, "I'm really having a hard time today"? In this episode of Legendary Leaders, host Cathleen O'Sullivan sits down with Darryl Stickel—trust researcher, founder of Trust Unlimited, and author of Building Trust—whose life's work reveals that connection isn't magic. It's a skill you can learn, practice, and pull off even when everything feels like it's falling apart. Darryl shares why trust isn't just about certainty—it's about being willing to get hurt. He breaks down the formula, explains why leaders who admit...
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Kate Grant – Listen to Your Inner Voice: Leading a Life of Impact Without Apology
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
What does it take to lead with both purpose and perseverance? In this episode of Legendary Leaders, host Cathleen O’Sullivan sits down with Kate Grant—CEO of the Fistula Foundation and author of No Woman Left Behind—whose remarkable journey from Madison Avenue to global health leadership reveals what can happen when compassion meets conviction. Kate shares how walking away from a thriving advertising career became the first step toward transforming the lives of more than 100,000 women suffering from obstetric fistula—a preventable childbirth injury that still affects over...
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Donzel Leggett – Transform, Don’t Just Change: The Mindset for a Destiny-Driven Life
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
What does it really mean to design your own destiny? In this episode of Legendary Leaders Podcast, host Cathleen O'Sullivan sits down with Donzel Leggett—former Fortune 200 executive, author of Make Your Destiny Happen, and founder of Destiny Development Delta whose career has spanned three decades of transformational global leadership. From his Key West roots to the pivotal moment he walked away from professional football, Donzel shares how he turned missed opportunities and painful kicks in the butt into clarity about his calling. With warmth and honesty, he opens up about the weight...
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Lenya McGrath – The Compass Within: Leading with Purpose and Positivity
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
What does it really mean to bring your authentic self to leadership? In this episode of Legendary Leaders Podcast, host Cathleen O’Sullivan sits down with Lenya McGrath—global brand strategist, creative leader, and award-winning marketer whose career has shaped some of the world’s most iconic brands. From her early days in Sydney’s ad world to leading high-performing teams across continents, Lenya shares how she turned “too happy” feedback into her leadership superpower. With warmth and humility, she opens up about authenticity in the workplace, building psychological...
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The Productivity Lie: Why Doing Less Makes You a Better Leader
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
What if productivity isn’t about doing more—but doing less, with purpose? In this solo episode of The Legendary Leaders Podcast, host Cathleen O’Sullivan challenges one of leadership’s biggest myths: that constant hustle equals success. Drawing from her own journey and stories from the leaders she’s coached, Cathleen exposes the “productivity lie” that glorifies busyness and burnout. She reveals why intentionality—not intensity—is what truly sets great leaders apart, and how creating space to think, rest, and reflect can actually amplify your impact. ...
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Neil Ghosh – The Power of Empathy: How Small Acts Create Big Change
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
What does it really mean to do more good—and how can empathy spark genuine impact in our everyday lives? In this heartfelt episode of The Legendary Leaders Podcast, Cathleen O’Sullivan sits down with Neil Ghosh, social impact strategist, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Do More Good, a book featuring voices from global icons like the Dalai Lama and Bill Clinton to everyday changemakers making a difference in their own communities. With over three decades of experience across 50+ countries and sectors, Neil has devoted his career to one question: How can we do more good together?...
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Jones Loflin - From Busy to Focused: Leadership Lessons from the Hive
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
What can honeybees teach us about leadership, focus, and living with intention? In this episode of The Legendary Leaders Podcast, host Cathleen O’Sullivan welcomes back Jones Loflin—speaker, coach, educator, and co-author of Focused as a Bee. Drawing from his beekeeping journey with his daughter Sydney, Jones reveals how small shifts in focus can create big changes in how we lead and live. Their book is both a practical guide and a heartfelt tribute to Sydney’s late best friend Alicia, reminding us that life is too short to glorify busyness. Jones opens up about co-authoring...
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Laura Venezia - Compassionate Leadership Lessons
The Legendary Leaders Podcast
Get ready for an inspiring conversation with our host Cathleen O’Sullivan and Laura Venezia, an educational leader whose passion for nurturing others has taken her across the U.S., China, Hong Kong, and now Germany. In this episode of Legendary Leaders, Laura reflects on her early love of teaching, the challenges and lessons of working internationally, and how her commitment to kindness and inclusion continues to guide her as a leader. She shares practical advice on balancing technology with real connection, building collaborative relationships, and embracing those everyday moments...
info_outlineWhat if your greatest legacy isn’t what you build, but who you build with along the way? In this episode of Legendary Leaders, your host, Cathleen O’Sullivan, invites you into a candid conversation with Nick Peel, a leader whose career spans some of the world’s most ambitious projects, from Arsenal Football Club to the cutting-edge NEOM "Line" project in Saudi Arabia. You’ll hear how Nick’s human-first approach to leadership has empowered teams to thrive under pressure, transcending titles and status in favour of authenticity, humility, and genuine impact. Together, they explore why self-awareness, openness to failure, and the courage to lead with empathy are at the heart of truly legendary leadership. Tune in to discover how embracing your humanity and building others up may just be the most powerful legacy you leave behind.
Episode Timeline:
00:00 Introduction
11:51 Embracing innovation and tackling ambitious projects
15:48 The importance of authenticity and being human in leadership
20:16 Learning from failure and the power of reflection
32:06 Building a strong, supportive family while leading global projects
38:09 Leading high-performing teams through empowerment and simplicity
44:22 The origins of NEOM’s The Line: bold ideas and collaboration
52:03 Leading diverse teams and unlocking innovation through trust
57:31 Supporting women’s leadership for future generations
Key Takeaways:
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Nick shares stories of nurturing talent and pride in seeing former colleagues grow, highlighting the importance of building others up on your leadership journey.
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Nick discusses the value of showing up authentically, empowering diverse teams, and leading with humility, whether in the high-pressure corporate world or ambitious projects like NEOM’s "The Line".
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Nick’s career, shaped more by "default than design," showcases how adaptability, curiosity, and learning steer personal and professional growth. He talks of the importance of reflection, being open to new ideas and leveraging lessons from both success and failure.
ABOUT Nick Peel
Nick has over 30 years of senior commercial and operational leadership expertise under his belt with esteemed organisations like Arsenal FC, LandSec, Battersea Power Station, McArthur Glen Designer Outlets, and Morrison Supermarkets. He has also held Non-Exec roles with a number of entities, including UCI World Cycling Championships, Streetwork charity, and Icons.com. His career spans retail, hospitality, property / real estate and sports, which he confesses is more by default than by design.
Nick is currently Director of Operational Readiness for THE LINE, the futuristic city under development at NEOM in Saudi Arabia. He specializes in building high performance teams, creating go to market strategies, building the new, and fixing the broken. He prides himself on a ‘ human first ‘ leadership style, and is motivated by change, learning, travel, and in particular his family and children.
Connect with Nicholas:
Connect:
Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan
Business: cathleenmerkel.com
Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/
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