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Andreas Pettersson: Power Without Permission
Welcome to Smart, Amazing Conversations with Dr. Nancy, a podcast that explores the stories of life and leadership from extraordinary women – and men – who are making a difference and creating a better world. Each episode features powerful conversations filled with personal stories, insights, and actionable advice to inspire you to lead, learn, and make a difference.
Show Notes:
Dr. Nancy welcomes Andreas Pettersson, author of Power Without Permission and longtime advocate for women’s leadership. Having been raised by a single mother in Sweden where equality is the norm, he expresses his shock at finding such extreme inequality in leadership in the U.S. He shares how his life’s mission has become focused on empowering women and challenging self-doubt and imposter syndrome, which he sees as a way to pay it forward. His book—co-authored with 13 women leaders—offers practical tools and real-life stories to inspire confidence and action for advancing women in leadership. Pettersson also describes how male allies can support women and urges participation in his free mentorship community designed to create a vast network of women and men to advance women’s leadership.
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About Andreas Pettersson:
Andreas Pettersson, author of Power Without Permission, is a leadership coach and former tech CEO. As Canon’s youngest stand-alone CEO, he scaled Arcules, a cloud-video startup, to 150 employees, managing over 100 petabytes monthly. He founded LeadersAdapt to equip leaders with tools to quiet imposter syndrome, turn results into recognition, and lead confidently. Co-authoring with 13 women leaders, his book blends stories and actionable strategies to advance women in leadership. A committed male ally, Pettersson promotes empathy, adaptability, and allyship practices. He also hosts the ADAPT or Die podcast and advises executives on sustainable, high-impact leadership.
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[00:03:14] Growing Up in Sweden
Pettersson shares his upbringing in Sweden, where the culture and teachings of his mother shaped his values and inspired his advocacy for gender equality.
[00:05:50] Shocking Inequality in the U.S.
After moving to the U.S., Pettersson says he was shocked by the stark gender disparities he observed in leadership compared to the Scandinavian countries, where everyone is equal.
[00:10:10] Stories of Transformation
Highlighting the 13 women co-authors of his book, Pettersson reflects on the importance of sharing stories about inspiring journeys from entry level to achieving success and the power of feminine leadership.
[00:14:05] Male Allies and Leadership Tools
Noting the confidence gap between men and women, Pettersson emphasizes the importance of male allies and encourages supervisors to examine skillsets before choosing a man over a woman for a particular job, and shares actionable strategies to support women’s advancement.
[00:19:00] Women Think in WE Terms.
Pettersson cites statistics showing that companies perform better with more women and diversity at the top and have a more positive culture with higher employee retention.
[00:20:25] Women Creating a Space for Women
Sharing what happens when a woman breaks into the old boys’ club, Pettersson observes that they get defensive about their position, thinking there’s only room for one woman at the top, which can only be changed if women create more space for other women.
[00:24:55] Authority Is Neutral
Growing up with women in Parliament and women business leaders, Pettersson says he never associated authority with being male or female.
[00:31:30] Paying It Forward Helps Other Women
Pettersson explains his mentorship philosophy and technique, encouraging each woman he helps to help five other women.
[00:34:25] Power Without Permission Community
Pettersson introduces his free mentorship platform, designed to provide leadership tools and support for women and allies.