Mary has recently been promoted into a senior role within an all-male technical team. But with a background in sales, her colleagues seem to have little respect for her opinions and criticize her for a lack of technical knowledge. What can she do?

People parading their positional authority with an air of superiority rarely command the admiration they think they're getting. After all, how much respect do we give people who rely on the phrase "because I said so" to motivate? They should drop the ego and build some real leadership skills, instead.

In the midst of the upheaval that seems all around us, it's not surprising that so many of us feel a sense of anxiety and hopelessness. But these challenges also have much to teach us about ourselves – if we choose to stop, explore and ask for the teaching.