Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Building Confidence at Work
Power Without Permission by Andreas Pettersson
About Andreas
I’m an executive advisor and keynote speaker—but before all that, I was a tech CEO who learned leadership the hard way. For 16+ years I built companies from scratch, scaled teams across three continents, and navigated the collision of startup chaos and enterprise expectations.
By 37, I had become Canon’s youngest stand‑alone CEO, leading Arcules, a cloud video startup backed by Canon. We grew to 150 employees and built a hyperscale AI platform cycling more than 100 petabytes of video and audio data every 30 days.
“Life has taught me that success isn’t a destination – it’s a journey best traveled with joy, purpose, and the occasional dance break!”
Those years taught me that leadership isn’t about titles or perfect strategy—it’s about how you show up in pressure moments. Confidence and clarity are practices, not personality traits.
“This journey isn’t just about about the grind – it’s about transformation, deep self-awareness and emotional intelligence.”
Along the way, I survived a near‑death health scare and learned resilience while raising my autistic son. Both experiences reshaped my view of leadership: real strength comes from empathy and adaptability, not just sharp strategy.
Now, as the founder of LeadersAdapt, I’ve advised more than 100 leaders. Many achieved 50% revenue growth in 12 months or earned promotions within six months. My goal is simple: help leaders grow without sacrificing health, family, or authenticity.
"Power Without Permission gave me language for things I’d only felt. Now I lead with clarity and conviction. Woman in leadership should read it."
Why I Wrote Power Without Permission
I didn’t write this book to “fix” women—women aren’t broken; systems are. For nearly two decades, I sat in boardrooms and one‑on‑ones where brilliant leaders still heard a quiet voice asking if they belonged. Often the environments made that voice louder.
This book started as notes from those rooms—moments where someone told the truth about doubt, visibility, recognition, and the rules no one writes down. I wanted a field guide you can use in real life, not a corporate manual. The pages are simple on purpose: stories, tools, and practices you can reach for right before a meeting, a review, or a decision.
I didn’t write it alone. Thirteen women from different careers and seasons of life co‑authored this with me. We didn’t sanitize the hard parts because that’s where most of us learn.
I’m a husband and a dad of three. I want my kids to live in a world where people are believed because of their work, not their volume. If one reader finishes feeling calmer, braver, and less alone, that will be enough.
Selected Writing (start here)?
Curated posts that pair with the book and the themes readers ask about most.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Impostor Syndrome at Work: Causes, Signs & Fixes
Quieting Your Inner Critic: Practical Tools
75% of Women Execs: 3 Impostor Syndrome Stories
Build Confidence at Work: Early‑Career Women’s Guide
Women in Leadership: Lead with Your Brilliance
Closing the Confidence Gap for Women Leaders
Authentic Confidence for Female Leaders
Male Allyship 101: How to Be a Male Ally at Work
Career Advancement for Women: Promotion Playbook
Breaking the Broken Rung: First‑Promotion Guide
Talks I Give
ADAPT or die Podcast
Each week I sit down with leaders for 30 minutes of Challenge → Adaptation → Success—real talk about inflection points and the practices that move you forward. Every episode includes a brief hot‑seat coaching segment with practical takeaways you can use this week.
A 3-act story
Challenge → Adaptation → Success
A 60-second coaching Hot-Seat
Real metrics.
Real strategy.
No PR spin.
Listen: ADAPT or die
Bio
75‑word Bio
Andreas Pettersson is the author of Power Without Permission and an executive advisor and former AI SaaS CEO. As Canon’s youngest stand‑alone CEO, he led Arcules to 150 employees and built a hyperscale video/audio platform processing 100+ PB monthly. Through LeadersAdapt, he helps CEOs, founders, and VPs quiet impostor syndrome, build confidence at work, and advance women in leadership. He has advised 100+ leaders, with many achieving 50% revenue growth and promotions within six months.
150‑word Bio
Andreas Pettersson is the author of Power Without Permission, executive advisor, and former AI SaaS CEO. By 37 he became Canon’s youngest stand‑alone CEO, leading Arcules (150 employees) and building a hyperscale video/audio security platform cycling 100+ PB every 30 days. He founded LeadersAdapt to help CEOs, founders, and senior leaders quiet impostor syndrome, build confidence at work, and advance women in leadership with field‑tested practices. His book—co‑created with thirteen women leaders—pairs raw stories with practical tools managers and teams can apply immediately. A near‑death health scare and raising his autistic son shaped his belief that empathy and clarity are core to sustainable performance. Pettersson has advised 100+ leaders; many report 50% revenue growth in 12 months and promotions within six. He hosts the ADAPT or Die podcast and contributes to outlets including Fast Company and Forbes.
250‑word Bio
Andreas Pettersson is the author of Power Without Permission and a strategic advisor to CEOs and senior operators. Before coaching, he spent 16+ years building companies, becoming Canon’s youngest stand‑alone CEO and leading Arcules, a Canon Group cloud‑video startup. There he scaled the team to 150 people and oversaw a hyperscale AI video/audio platform cycling more than 100 petabytes every 30 days. Those years taught him that confidence and clarity are practices—the difference between surviving high‑stakes moments and shaping them.
He founded LeadersAdapt to give leaders practical, repeatable tools to quiet impostor syndrome, turn results into recognition, and lead earlier without waiting for permission. His book, co‑authored with thirteen women leaders, blends candid stories with manager‑ready tools for building confidence at work and advancing women in leadership.
A near‑death health event and his son’s autism diagnosis deepened his belief that empathy and adaptability are core to sustainable performance. A committed male ally, he equips managers with allyship practices—sponsorship, accurate credit, and bias interrupts—that make great work visible. Pettersson has advised 100+ leaders across industries; many report 50% revenue growth within 12 months and promotions within six months with expanded responsibility and equity. He hosts the weekly ADAPT or Die podcast and has contributed to outlets including Fast Company and Forbes.
Based in the U.S., he works selectively with CEOs, founders, and VPs as a confidential thought partner. He speaks on quieting impostor syndrome, leading without permission, proof over perfection, and allyship in action.
Speaker intro
Our next speaker has led at the highest levels—by 37 he was Canon’s youngest stand-alone CEO, scaling a global cloud video company to 150 employees and a platform cycling over 100 petabytes of data every month. But what makes his story unforgettable isn’t just the scale—it’s the lessons forged through a near-death health scare and raising his autistic son. He discovered that fearless leadership isn’t about perfection, but about showing up with empathy, adaptability, and courage. Today, as the author of Power Without Permission and founder of LeadersAdapt, he helps executives quiet impostor syndrome, build confidence at work, and advance women in leadership. Please welcome Andreas Pettersson—a leader who teaches us how to scale success without losing our soul.
Headshots
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FAQs
Q1. What is impostor syndrome at work?
It’s doubting your proven abilities and attributing wins to luck—despite clear evidence (also called “imposter” syndrome). It often shows up as second‑guessing, over‑preparing, and avoiding visibility. Read the full guide →
Q2. What’s the fastest way to feel calmer before a big meeting?
Use a 5‑minute run‑up: skim your Evidence Vault, write 3 points + 1 ask, then do a 90‑second reset (box breathing, posture, one line you believe). It turns panic into plan. Details →
Q3. How can managers reduce impostor syndrome on their teams?
Credit accurately and publicly, publish promotion criteria, rotate “office housework,” invite voices in early, and sponsor women into visible work. Manager tips →
Q4. How do I overcome impostor syndrome quickly?
Focus on three repeatable practices: 1) Keep an Evidence Vault of your wins, 2) Translate results into recognition (tell the story of your impact), 3) Use a 90‑second reset before high‑stakes moments. More here →
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