From Key West Dreams to Global Leadership with Donzel Legett

In this episode, I sit down with Donzel, whose journey takes us from the sun-soaked streets of Key West, Florida, to the locker rooms of Purdue University, and on through a 30-year corporate career leading international teams. We explore why he traded palm trees for the Midwest — a decision shaped by family ties, academic ambition, and the guiding hand of a high school coach with deep Purdue connections. Donzel shares how growing up surrounded by diverse cultures in Key West prepared him to lead in a complex, global world. Leadership That Meets You Where You Are Donzel tells a powerful story of nearly quitting his high school football team — and how Coach Freeman’s flexible, heart-led leadership kept him in the game. That moment taught him the value of humility, accessibility, and investing in people. We talk about how those same qualities can transform workplaces, teams, and even entire communities. Making Your Destiny Happen Donzel’s new book, Make Your Destiny Happen, began as a life plan he created in his twenties. Six months of writing turned into four years of editing, as he distilled decades of leadership experience from across the globe into a guide for others. His philosophy? Leadership done well creates ripples far beyond the office walls. Mentors in Unexpected Places From his great grandmother to a janitor who quietly shared investment wisdom, Donzel’s life is a testament to finding mentors everywhere. We swap stories about the surprising people who’ve shaped our own journeys and how wisdom often shows up in the least expected ways. His book offers readers a roadmap to building a balanced life — one that honors both ambition and well-being. The Art and Grind of Creating We compare content creation to staging a Broadway production — the endless rewrites, the fine-tuning, and the moment you know it’s ready. Donzel’s hope is that his book will spark change and possibility for readers, and I couldn’t agree more. Strong leadership is needed now more than ever, and his message delivers. Empowering Through Positive Change Donzel believes in leadership that inspires, not intimidates. His book is a call to action for anyone ready to take control of their life, redefine success, and lead with purpose. If it inspires even one person to take that step, he considers it a win. Where to Find Donzel You can explore more of Donzel’s work through his website, his social channels, and his Make Your Destiny Happen Petite Podcast — short, impactful leadership lessons often inspired by his late father. And, of course, pick up your copy of Make Your Destiny Happen.   Donzel Leggett is an accomplished senior executive with 32+ years of leadership experience driving business growth for Fortune 200 consumer products companies. Donzel’s career reflects a demonstrated track record of leading transformational change on a global scale through strategic vision, planning and execution, and inspirational leadership with enterprise-wide initiatives that include optimizing operations and integrating M&A transactions in complex international business environments. Donzel earned a reputation as an inspirational unifier having built many strong collaborative cross-functional teams, across several geographies, cultures, and diverse backgrounds. Donzel is also a community leader, a member of several nonprofit and advisory boards, and is board chair at two organizations. Donzel has been widely recognized as one of the most inspirational leaders within the many organizations in which he has been a part of.  He is continually contacted for career and leadership advice and development and has coached and mentored thousands of people across the globe. Throughout his career, Donzel has successfully led large organizations in highly complex, dynamic and diverse environments, with up to ten thousand team members dispersed across the globe.  As the magnitude and demands of his leadership accountabilities continued to expand, Donzel developed the proprietary leadership models and methodology that are now at the center of the Destiny Development DeltaTM consultancy. Donzel’s passion is coaching, developing and mentoring people all over the world, and his vision and purpose are to transform lives so that every person can be the very best leader that they can be. Website: destinydevdelta.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/donzelleggett Facebook: facebook.com/donzel.leggett.9 Instagram: instagram.com/donzel_leggett Linktree: linktr.ee/destinydevdelta YouTube: youtube.com/@DonzelLeggett Podcast: feeds.captivate.fm/make-your-destiny-happen