Do you ever feel like you’re chasing status, promotions, or recognition only to arrive and still feel unfulfilled? What if leadership wasn’t about control, but about creative direction and truly designing a life and career that excites you?

In this inspiring episode of Legendary Leaders, host Cathleen sits down with Vincent Wanga, dynamic design thought leader, brand strategist, creative executive, and author of The Art of Direction. Vincent’s story bridges cultures and continents: from a Kenyan childhood, to hustling through setbacks in America, to helping build a billion-dollar tech unicorn. Along the way, he’s developed a philosophy of relentless adaptability, creative courage, and leadership that unlocks the best in others.

If you’re craving more meaning, momentum, or creativity in your leadership journey, this episode will energise you to rethink what’s possible.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Introduction: Reframing creativity

02:45 Why chasing titles leaves us empty

07:02 From adversity to agency

13:04 Immigrant perspective: adaptability, onlyness and resilience

19:43 Building skills across industries & the power of pivoting

22:23 Embracing (and loving) imposter syndrome

33:47 Really listening and redefining expertise

41:28 The humility of leadership: paying yourself last

49:56 Nurturing leadership in teams and creating safe cultures

1:07:07 Vincent’s leap into tech, loss, and building billion-dollar unicorns

1:13:43 Making adversity your rocket fuel (and what’s next for Vincent)

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership is not about titles or control, but about creative direction and meaningful impact.

• Your darkest failures and detours are the rocket fuel for reinvention.

• If you want clients, teams, or work that truly excites you. Be both your boldest advocate and your most humble student.

About Vincent Wanga:

Vincent Wanga is a dynamic international design thought leader, creative keynote speaker, award-winning creative and executive, author of The Art of Direction, serial entrepreneur, and experienced brand consultant with an exceptional range of expertise over a distinguished two-decade career.

Connect with Vincent:

Website: https://www.vincentwanga.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-wanga

Book:https://www.amazon.com/Art-Direction-Personal-Perspectives-Leadership/dp/B0DWR3911D

Connect: 


Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: https://cathleenosullivan.com/

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

FOLLOW LEGENDARY LEADERS ON APPLE, SPOTIFY OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO YOUR PODCASTS

Have you ever wondered why, no matter how big your ideas or how talented your team, you keep running into the same old obstacles at work? Today, in Legendary Leaders, Cathleen O'Sullivan, is talking to Doug Hall, renowned innovation expert, founder of Eureka Ranch and Brain Brew Distillery, and author of Proactive Problem Solving. Doug is on a mission to help leaders everywhere "stop the stupid" and restore real joy and creativity to the workplace.

If you’re tired of endless meetings, redundant tasks, and systems that just don’t make sense, get ready. This episode is packed with real-world examples, practical strategies you can apply today, and leadership insights you won’t find anywhere else.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 The “Stop the Stupid” mission with Doug Hall

02:19 Leadership’s silent killer, and the surprising truth about wasted time

08:49 Doug’s journey; real-life stories of broken systems and how tiny changes spark massive engagement

11:08 Enable employees to proactively solve problems

18:13 Focus on fundamental processes and effective communication

25:29 Getting leaders onboard

36:09 Saving 3.5 hours a day stopping the stupid

47:33 Collaborative problem-solving breakthrough

01:03:56 Unclear strategic direction issues

01:19:33 Embrace authentic innovation

Key Takeaways:

• “Stop the stupid” is a powerful lens: Most wasted time and disengagement in companies come from outdated or broken systems

• Managers waste 3.5 hours a day on avoidable problems caused by dysfunctional processes and unclear communication.

• Proactive problem-solving is a skill not an accident: Doug outlines a three-step system that can increase your team’s effectiveness by up to 500%.

About Doug Hall

Doug Hall is an innovation expert, founder of Eureka Ranch and Brain Brew Distillery, and the author of the book Proactive Problem Solving. With nearly 50 years of experience in leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship, Doug’s passion centers on helping organizations “stop the stupid”—his signature phrase for eliminating outdated systems that destroy productivity and creativity at work. Renowned for his energetic and practical approach, Doug translates complex innovation strategies into simple, actionable steps. He has worked with some of the world’s largest companies, like Nike and Disney, and brings to the table real-world stories from both consulting and running his own rapidly-scaling bourbon business. Doug’s mission is to empower leaders at all levels to create smarter, more engaging workplaces by tackling broken systems head-on and igniting the problem-solving power within their teams.

Connect with Doug:

Website: www.doughall.com

Connect: 


Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: https://cathleenosullivan.com/

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

FOLLOW LEGENDARY LEADERS ON APPLE, SPOTIFY OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO YOUR PODCASTS

Have you ever found yourself stuck in the cycle of trying to be the “perfect” leader (always switched on, always in control) only to end up burned out and disconnected? In this solo episode of Legendary Leaders, Cathleen O'Sullivan shares what happened when she finally let go of performing leadership and started showing up as herself.

From moments of self-doubt to the awkward reality of what she calls being a “cow at work,” Cathleen opens up about the pressures we put on ourselves to look like we’ve got it all together. She talks honestly about the impact it had on her well-being, her team, and her work and what changed when she chose presence over perfection. If you're feeling the weight of doing it all, or just wondering if there’s a more human way to lead, this episode is for you.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Introduction

04:59 Leadership thrives in authenticity; burnout taught me to lead from presence, not performance.

09:15 I wanted to lead as me with flaws, feelings, tired days and all.

13:06 You can’t lead well in survival mode

14:45 The power of saying “I’m not quite on today”

16:55 Rethink feedback and self-leadership

Key Takeaways:

• Authenticity over perfection: Cathleen talks honestly about moving from trying to lead perfectly to simply showing up as herself. Letting go of the pressure to always have it together helped her build real trust with others even on the messy days

• Burnout changed everything: Working non-stop to meet impossible standards left Cathleen burnt out and disconnected. That low point pushed her to slow down, get honest with herself, and start leading with more care and clarity

• The SPACE method makes it practical: Cathleen shares a simple five-part tool to lead with more presence, not performance.

Connect:

Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: https://cathleenosullivan.com/

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

FOLLOW LEGENDARY LEADERS ON APPLE, SPOTIFY OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO YOUR PODCASTS