Episode description

Leslie Shannon is the Head of Ecosystem and Trend Scouting at Nokia, a telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics company. In this role, Leslie investigates new developments in the tech industry to understand what technological innovations humans can expect to observe and interact with three to five years in the future.

Outside of her exciting work at Nokia, Leslie also serves as a Board Advisor for Myplanet, a web design and employee support systems provider based in Toronto, Canada.

Do you ever find yourself dreaming of bigger and better professional ventures? Do you want a fulfilling job that involves your skills and interests—but you aren’t quite sure what is holding you back from achieving your goals?

According to Leslie Shannon, there could be just one thing that’s holding you back: yourself. Unfortunately, a lack of self-confidence is often the culprit for not making our dreams a reality. This meekness can stem from almost anything: trauma, family dynamics, and sexism, to name a few. However, Leslie argues that the important thing to consider isn’t necessarily where your lack of self-confidence comes from, but how you recognize this reality and take control of your future success. Ready to start?

In this episode of Next Wave Leadership, Leslie Shannon, Head of Ecosystem and Trend Scouting at Nokia, joins Dov Pollack to talk about her journey towards building an impenetrable backbone as a woman in the technology industry. Listen in as Leslie discusses why women have to establish their voice in the workplace, how she created a brand-new position for herself at Nokia, and why being on Jeopardy! transformed her self-confidence forever. Stay tuned for more!