Lissa Appiah

Certified Career Transition & Job Promotion Coach | Career & Leadership Development Workshop Facilitator | Speaker & Trainer | Canada's Top 100 Black Women to Watch of 2022

Are you an introverted leader or founder who is delivering results yet still not getting the recognition, opportunities, or visibility you deserve? You are not alone.

Research shows introverts with a bachelor’s degree earn $290K less over their careers than extroverted peers, and $760K less with advanced degrees. Workplaces often reward visibility over quiet impact.

It is no surprise that 65% of senior executives view introversion as a barrier to leadership, and only 6% believe introverts have the people skills to lead teams. Without an intentional personal brand, introverted leaders and founders are often overlooked.

I know this struggle firsthand. As an introvert, I once believed I had to act extroverted to succeed. Everything changed when I built a personal brand rooted in my strengths. I earned five promotions in under eight years, and later, as a founder, went from avoiding visibility to becoming a LinkedIn Top Voice with a profitable personal brand.

Now, I help introverted leaders and founders do the same through The Introvert Leadership Method and The Brand Visibility Accelerator. These proven systems help you be seen, attract opportunities, and earn more without acting out of character.

💡 With these systems, you will learn how to:
✔ Position your résumé, LinkedIn, and personal brand so your value is clear and compelling
✔ Build influence and visibility without draining your energy
✔ Communicate your strengths in interviews, negotiations, client conversations, and stakeholder meetings
✔ Attract opportunities and step into roles or business growth where your quiet expertise is recognized and rewarded

📈 Client Results:

“Shortly after working with Lissa, I received a job offer exactly aligned with the role I was seeking.” — Anna Savelyeva, Director of Programs

“Lissa’s program gave me the tools to land new roles, negotiate better salaries, and not sell myself short.” — Linda Adwoa Aidoo, Certified Finance Professional

“Her coaching gave me clarity, confidence, and opened doors to new opportunities I never thought possible.” — Grace Udodong, Founder, Oasis Youth Care

🏆 Featured in: The Globe and Mail • Fortune Magazine • LinkedIn News • CTV News

👉🏽 Ready to turn introversion into your advantage and claim the opportunities you deserve, in your career or your business?
📩 Message me here on LinkedIn or book a discovery call at weapply.ca

Founder, Career & Leadership Development Workshop Facilitator

We help organizations develop and retain talent through career and leadership development workshops or programs. As a Workshop Facilitator & Keynote Speaker, my signature presentations are: 

"Building with LinkedIn: Mastering LinkedIn for Career Success"
"Brand You: Unlocking the Power of Personal Branding to Stand Out in Your Career"

All our workshops and coaching programs are customized based on your organizational needs.

Too often, loud gets mistaken for leadership.
But real leadership isn’t about making the most noise.

Some of the most impactful leaders lead quietly.
They lead with calm, clarity, and presence.

They don’t dominate conversations.
They guide them.

They don’t seek the spotlight.
They create space for others to shine.

Leadership isn’t about being the loudest.
Leaders create space, guide conversations, and move with purpose.

And when quiet leaders rise, everyone around them does too.

Your quiet strength is a career asset.
Find out how to use it. Take the Introvert at Work Quiz >>> https://lnkd.in/e8TsqSz5

I help introverted leaders land $150K+ roles & founders attract their 1st client on LinkedIn | Bilingual (EN/FR) Executive Coach & Personal Branding Consultant | Top 20 Career Coach & Top 20 LinkedIn Top Voice in Canada

Years from now, people won’t remember your title.
They’ll remember how you led them.
  
I've coached with 400+ professionals across 15 industries.
The leaders people talk about years later? They all do these 7 things:
 
What Makes You Forgettable:
❌ Leading with your title
❌ Talking about how busy you are
❌ Focusing on tasks over people
❌ Making everything about deadlines
❌ Taking credit for team wins
  
What Makes You Unforgettable:
✔️ Listen more than you speak → People feel heard
✔️ Remember personal details → Shows you care beyond work
✔️ Give credit publicly → Builds loyalty and trust
✔️ Support during tough times → Creates lasting bonds
✔️ Keep your promises → Builds unshakeable credibility
✔️ Stay calm under pressure → Becomes your leadership signature
✔️ Make time for 1-on-1s → Shows people they matter
  
Your projects will end.
Your title will change.
But how you made people feel becomes part of their story.

The leaders I remember most weren’t the loudest or busiest.
They made people feel seen.

Which one of these are you already doing well?
 
🔁 Repost to help a leader in your network

I help introverted leaders land $150K+ roles and elevate their personal brand without endless networking | Certified Executive Coach | Top 20 Career Coach & Top 20 LinkedIn Top Voice in Canada | 400+ client wins

“I’m stuck.”
She told me she couldn’t imagine spending the next chapter of her career counting down to retirement in a Director role that no longer inspired her.
 
She was once passionate about her work.  
Now, she felt like she was just going through the motions.
 
Deep down, she knew she still had more to give.  
She just didn’t know how or if it was “too late” to pivot.
 
That’s where we started.
 
➡️ We assessed her strengths, accomplishments, and leadership style.  
➡️ Completed an energy audit to identify roles and environments that energized her. 
➡️ Repositioned her resume and LinkedIn to clearly communicate her value.
 
She stopped seeing herself as someone winding down.  
And started showing up as the leader she always was.
 
Within weeks, she was interviewing for roles she once thought were out of reach.
Last month, she landed a new role as an Executive Director at a non-profit organization. 
 
If you’re:  
➡️ Worried your experience isn’t relevant anymore. 
➡️ Unsure how to position yourself in a new field. 
➡️ Not hearing back from the roles you really want.

Join me January 7 at 7pm ET for a live webinar where I’ll show managers and directors how to tell their career story, improve their interview skills and land $150K+ offers.
 
👉🏽 Save your seat: https://lnkd.in/gCmMSxJ2

You think you're staying in your role because it's “stable.”
 
But really?
 
 You’re staying because of:
 ▪️ invisible loyalty
 ▪️ fear of stepping out there
 ▪️ not knowing your true value
 
This is the trap so many managers and directors fall into:
 
 ✔️ You feel guilty leaving a team that depends on you
 ✔️ You tell yourself it’s too late to pivot
 ✔️ You question whether you’re even qualified for something better
 
 I stayed in the same field for 14 years before I made my move.
 And here’s what I learned on the other side:
 
 ▪️ Loyalty shouldn’t cost you your growth
 ▪️ Time invested doesn’t mean time wasted
 ▪️ Being capable doesn’t mean being seen or valued
 
For a long time, I told myself I was already stretched.
That there was no room for change.

But the longer I waited, the heavier it felt.
Eventually, change stopped being optional and became necessary.

Coaching didn’t add more to my plate.
It created clarity, gave me time, energy, and direction.

Coaching isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing the right things to build a career that actually fits.
 
I’ve lived this transition and helped 400+ professionals do the same.
On average, they gain $36K in salary and step into roles that finally reflect their value.
 
If your goal is to land your next $150K+ role by Spring 2026, now is the time to start.
Book a discovery call and let’s map out a promotion or transition strategy that works for you.
 >>> https://lnkd.in/gyGrMWVg

Kindness at work isn’t soft.
It’s one of the most effective leadership strategies there is.

The moments people remember at work aren’t the big presentations or polished speeches.

They’re the quiet moments most leaders overlook.

▪️Being asked how they’re really doing.
▪️Thanked when no one was watching.
▪️Supported without having to ask.
▪️Having your time and boundaries respected.

These small actions build trust.
And trust is what drives engagement, loyalty, and performance.

What makes quiet leadership powerful is this:
None of these require authority, charisma, or being the loudest voice in the room.
They’re available to anyone willing to lead with intention.
And over time, they compound.

Quiet leadership isn’t about doing more.
It’s doing the small things consistently and letting trust do the rest.

Nokia

Head of Real Estate

I lead a Global IT Procurement team of up to 75+ staff, managing e2e supplier strategy, contracts, negotiations & governance for Nokia’s global IT Organizations.
I led the restructuring and optimizing of high-performing organization with right procurement skills and talent. I direct the organization enabling company digitization. I head the supplier reductions program around Hardware, Software and System Integrator.

Vice-President of IT Procurement 

I directed a Global Procurement organization of 40+ staff, managing spend of multi-million-dollar for ION business with support of central procurement.
I was selected for the role based on proven leadership success and charged with directing execution, communicating with leaders, making operational decisions, and overseeing daily operations of IP & Optical Networking Business Group. In this role, I worked with engineering community from conceptual product development to end of life.

Head of IP & Optical Networking Procurement (ION)

I was promoted to oversee the Optical Business Division, merging 2 entities with different stakeholders and work cultures. I supported the engineering community from conceptual product development to end of life.

*Alcatel-Lucent from 2010-2016, Nokia acquisition in 2016

Director, Business Line Procurement IP Routing, Optical Networking (ION)

I oversaw a Global Procurement team of up to 10 direct reports. I supported engineering community with new product development. I transformed and strengthened decentralized procurement practices into structured, formalized and best-in-class practices, working directly with Global Procurement organization.

Manager, Business Line Procurement for IP Routing 

I led and negotiated Development Agreements, Statement of Works, and Volume Purchase Agreements. I collaborated with North American Business Lines and Business Line Procurement teams to prepare critical items for annual negotiation, volumes, targets, and program updates.

North America Commodity Manager for Telecom IC's

Newbridge

Senior Corporate Contracts Administator

Future Electronics

Strategic Business Analyst

Vice-President IT Procurement ➠ Human-centric business leader, empowering global teams & leading organizational transformation to maximize profit and performance ➠ Supply Chain | Negotiation | Change Leadership

I consider myself a human-centric business leader... I put people first. As a leader, my mission is to drive performance and growth with people, not despite them.

I am known for empowering global teams and building trust to maximize performance. I’ve driven organizational change and led significant transformation projects, managing multi-million-dollar budgets. In addition, I am skilled at developing innovative solutions and supplier negotiations to avoid costs and maximize profits.

Some of my Career Highlights include:
 ➠ 	Heading the 1st Cloud multi-million-dollar Request for Proposal process.
 ➠ 	Negotiating favorable supplier terms and conditions saved millions of dollars annually across North America.
 ➠ 	Achieving up to 40% cost avoidance through strategic partnerships and knowledge sharing to reduce front-end costs.
 ➠ 	Championing People Strategy and addressed attrition by upskilling employees through leadership and mindset development.
 ➠ 	Nominated and graduated from the Global Top 10 Women Program at Alcatel-Lucent in 2015 & Executive Nokia Training
 ➠  Completed my Legacy Coaching program with Elite High Performance 

I am open to new connections and would be glad to connect with you here on LinkedIn.

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