Libsyn Directory

Donzel Leggett – Transform, Don’t Just Change: The Mindset for a Destiny-Driven Life

Release Date: 11/18/2025

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. ...

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?...

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...

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...

More Episodes

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 of expectations, the courage to challenge them, and how a life plan created at 24 has guided everything since—including losing 90 pounds in four months and bouncing back from a million-dollar business failure that shaped his next chapter.

Together, Cathleen and Donzel explore the difference between change and transformation, why spending time with yourself is the most radical act of leadership, and how his Destiny Development Delta model helps people stop leaving life to chance. This conversation is for anyone ready to lead themselves with intention, passion, and purpose.

Episode Timeline:

04:49 Growing up in Key West: lessons in diversity and strong women leaders

07:41 College football and missed opportunities to lead teammates

10:12 Creating a life plan at 24—and what destiny really means

15:11 Challenging expectations: when others’ dreams don't match your own

23:34 Walking away from professional football and the emotional fallout

30:36 Three pivotal moments: football, fatherhood, and finding his calling

36:14 Recognizing your calling: the feeling you can't ignore

40:45 Why 90% of people can't answer where they want to be in 10 years

47:06 First steps to self-leadership—even when life feels overwhelming

52:19 Getting back on track: losing 90 pounds and finding balance

55:44 The restaurant that failed—and the million-dollar MBA

01:01:20 The Destiny Development Delta model: A-Attitudes and iLead Change

01:04:23 Change vs. transformation: chameleon or butterfly?

01:09:05 Transformation as an iterative journey through life's shifts

01:13:32 What's next: spreading hope around the world

Key Takeaway:

Creating Your Own Destiny: Donzel challenges the idea that destiny is predetermined—it's something you design by getting clear on what you want, building a life plan, and taking sustained action.
Leading Yourself First: Leadership isn't about titles or hierarchy—it's about taking charge of your own life, whether you're an executive, a barber, or a stay-at-home parent.
Transformation vs. Change: Real transformation means becoming something different (like a caterpillar to butterfly), not just making adjustments—and it starts with spending time with yourself to uncover what you truly want.
The Power of a Life Plan: Donzel created his life plan at 24 and has followed it for over 30 years, showing how vision plus intentional action creates both success and fulfillment.
Learning from Failure: From walking away from football to losing a million dollars on a restaurant, Donzel shows how reframing failure as learning and taking accountability fuels growth and resilience.

About Donzel Leggett:

Donzel Leggett is a global operations and leadership executive with over 30 years of experience leading large-scale teams and operations in consumer products companies, including a 28-year tenure at General Mills. He is the Principal and Founder of Destiny Development Delta, LLC, where he coaches executives and teams to unlock their full potential and build inclusive, high-performing cultures. He is the author of Make Your Destiny Happen, a transformational framework for designing and living a purposeful life. Known for driving exceptional results while uplifting people, his leadership approach centers on authenticity, accountability, and helping others take charge of their destinies. Donzel's mission is to inspire people globally to transform their leadership, envision their future, and take sustained action to make it reality.

Connect with Donzel Leggett:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donzelleggett/

Facebook (Donzel Leggett): https://www.facebook.com/donzel.leggett.9/

Facebook (Destiny Dev Delta): https://www.facebook.com/destinydevdelta

Instagram (Donzel Leggett) https://www.instagram.com/donzel_leggett/

Linktree: https://li nktr.ee/destinydevdelta

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DonzelLeggett

Make Your Destiny Happen Petite Podcast: https://feeds.captivate.fm/make-your-destiny-happen/

Website: https://destinydevdelta.com/

Make Your Destiny Happen Book: https://www.makeyourdestinyhappen.com

Connect with Cathleen O’Sullivan:

Business: https://cathleenosullivan.com/