Explore every episode of the podcast Centaur Stage

What happens when a leader decides their ideas matter enough to be shared with the world?

In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour, Founder and CEO of Cosmic Centaurs, reflects on her recent TEDx journey and explores why leaders from the Arab world have a responsibility to contribute their perspectives to global conversations.

Together with Tala Odeh, she discusses the challenges of stepping into the public sphere, the emotional and creative process behind crafting a TED-worthy idea, and the importance of documenting the wisdom, values, and leadership traditions emerging from our region.

The conversation also introduces the concept of open-hearted leadership—a framework rooted in generosity, respect, consultation, and stewardship—and shares practical advice for leaders looking to strengthen their voice and influence.

In this episode:

•  Why leadership visibility matters today 
•  The hidden work behind a TEDx talk 
•  Overcoming perfectionism and fear of judgment 
•  Why public speaking is a leadership capability—not a marketing exercise 
•  The four pillars of open-hearted leadership 
•  The future of the Leading from the Arab World research initiative 

About the guests

Marilyn Zakhour is Founder & CEO of Cosmic Centaurs, an HBR contributor, podcast host, and leadership advisor with over 15 years of experience helping organizations navigate growth and transformation.

Tala Odeh leads Capability Development at Cosmic Centaurs, designing leadership and communication programs that help people turn ideas into meaningful influence.

In this episode of our Psych Safety in Focus webinar series, we explore Open Conversation, one of the four core domains of psychological safety and a critical driver of learning, collaboration, and performance.

At its core, psychological safety is about creating an environment where people can contribute honestly, engage in constructive debate, and surface issues before they become problems.

In this session, we explore:
✨What open conversation really means in the context of psychological safety
✨The role of policies, leaders, and team norms in shaping voice
✨How open conversations improve learning, decision-making, and performance
✨Practical ways leaders can foster more honest, direct, and constructive conversations

This conversation draws on insights from the Psychological Safety Scan, which measures four key domains: inclusion & diversity, willingness to help, open conversation, and attitude to risk and failure.

Cosmic Centaurs is an Organizational & Leadership Development consultancy helping leaders & leadership teams make better decisions and effect sustainable change. We are the only official partner in the region for the Fearless Organization Scan, and the exclusive Arabic-language partner.

The Cosmic Centaurs’ “Psychological Safety in Focus” Webinar Series is a free, open learning space to reflect on how psychological safety shows up in MENA organizations, and how to foster it in our local and regional context.
Throughout the series, we’ll bring together insights from global research and real stories from the region, exploring how these lessons can be applied in our workplaces to unlock higher performance and healthier, more collaborative teams across MENA

As AI and technology continue to reshape the workplace, I keep coming back to one question: what human capabilities will matter most in the future of work?

Tala Odeh, Capability Development Lead and Dua Al Toobi, Founder of The Futureproof Advisory and author of Futureproof Your Workforce, for a conversation on what it really takes to build future-ready organizations today. Together, we’ll explore:
🔹 The human capabilities organizations often overlook and why they are real superpowers
🔹 Why transferable skills and nonlinear career paths matter more than ever
🔹 How leaders and organizations can better recognize and grow future-ready talent across the GCC

This conversation is for leaders, HR professionals, and individuals looking to better understand how we can build stronger, more capability-driven workforces in a rapidly changing world.

In this episode of the  Psych Safety in Focus Series, we’re diving into Willingness to Help, one of the four core domains that shape whether teams can truly collaborate, learn, and perform together.

Many organizations value collaboration, yet asking for help can still feel risky. People worry about looking incompetent, overburdening others, or appearing less capable, especially in high-pressure environments.

In this session, we’ll explore:
🔹Why willingness to help is foundational to psychological safety
🔹What prevents people from asking for support at work
🔹How helping behaviors shape trust, learning, and team performance
🔹What leaders can do to create supportive and collaborative team environments

Psychological safety is one of the strongest predictors of performance, learning, and innovation, but how is it actually experienced across organizations today?

In this session of our Psych Safety in Focus Webinar Series, we unpack the latest Fearless Report: one of the most comprehensive global studies on psychological safety to date.

Drawing on over 16,000 cumulative responses across 33 countries and 21 industries, this report goes beyond theory to reveal what truly shapes psychological safety at work today, from team dynamics to power structures, loneliness, and organizational design.

Hosted by the Cosmic Centaurs team, the exclusive MENA partners of the Fearless Organization Scan, this session bridges global data with practical insight, helping leaders move from awareness to action.
Together, we’ll explore:
🔹What the global data reveals about how psychological safety is actually experienced
🔹The organizational conditions that most strongly shape psych safety today
🔹Where perception gaps exist between leaders and teams
🔹How to benchmark and strengthen psychological safety in your own organization
This session is designed for leaders, HR professionals, and culture practitioners who want a data-backed, real-world understanding of psychological safety, and how to actively build it.

About the Organizer
Cosmic Centaurs is an Organizational & Leadership Development consultancy helping leaders & leadership teams make better decisions and effect sustainable change. We are the only official partner in the region for the Fearless Organization Scan, and the exclusive Arabic-language partner.
The Cosmic Centaurs’ “Psychological Safety in Focus” Webinar Series is a free, open learning space to reflect on how psychological safety shows up in MENA organizations, and how to foster it in our local and regional context.
Throughout the series, we’ll bring together insights from global research and real stories from the region, exploring how these lessons can be applied in our workplaces to unlock higher performance and healthier, more collaborative teams across MENA.

The organizations that remain resilient and relevant are the ones that build the ability to continuously innovate.

In this keynote bridging our Adapt and Thrive weeks, Marilyn Zakhour brings together the key ideas from the week and the best of academia to explore how organizations develop the ability to continuously evolve, invent and innovate, strengthening their resilience and readiness to navigate complex, shifting contexts.

Drawing on the work of Gary Hamel, this session explores how organizations build the capacity to continuously reinvent their business models before change is forced upon them, and how leading organizations embed innovation into how they operate.

We’ll look at what this means in practice:
 • How to identify when to improve what exists vs. when to build something new
 • How continuous innovation strengthens resilience and supports long-term growth
 • How to embed exploration into the organization through rituals, processes, and culture
 • How to run execution and innovation in parallel
 • How organizations like Fujifilm have built this capability over time

As part of the final session of the Cosmic Conference 2026, we turn the lens inward to reflect on a simple question:

What does impact really look like?

In this conversation, the Centaur team shares real stories from the past year — across organizations, communities, and within our own team — bringing to life how leadership, capability, and culture translate into meaningful outcomes.

Moderated by Sabah Al Nakouzi, this session explores:

•  How organizations move from strategy to execution 
•  What it takes to build leadership capability that lasts 
•  Why psychological safety is essential to performance 
•  How leadership teams operate as a true unit 
•  The role of community in scaling knowledge and impact 
•  What it means to truly practice what we preach as a team 

Featuring contributions from the Cosmic Centaurs team, including Marilyn Zakhour, Marie Nakhle, Tala Odeh, and others.

This session closes a 3-week journey where we brought together leaders, experts, and practitioners to explore how organizations can endure, adapt, and ultimately thrive in times of uncertainty.

About Cosmic Centaurs
Cosmic Centaurs is an organizational and leadership development consultancy that helps leaders build organizations that perform, grow, and create lasting impact.

In a world where the future cannot be predicted, how should leaders think about strategy, governance, and decision-making?

In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour speaks with José Santos about what it means to lead and govern at the edge of uncertainty.

Challenging conventional thinking, José draws a clear distinction between risk and true uncertainty—and explains why treating one as the other leads to flawed decisions and fragile organizations.

The conversation shifts the focus from prediction to design: how boards create the boundaries within which leaders can act, and how managers can operate, innovate, and remain entrepreneurial without relying on forecasts.

From governance frameworks to leadership mindset shifts, this episode offers a deeper lens on how organizations can function—and thrive—when the future is unknowable.

This episode is part of the 2026 Cosmic Conference by Cosmic Centaurs, focused on helping leaders build organizations that can endure, adapt, and thrive. 

The UAE’s response to COVID-19 has become a global case study, not just for how it managed the crisis, but for how it emerged stronger.

In this episode, Peter Zemsky, Professor of Strategy & Innovation at INSEAD and CEO of Lexarius, shares insights from his research into what made that response effective.

The conversation explores how leaders navigated difficult trade-offs, integrated expertise into decision-making, and coordinated across systems in moments of uncertainty. It also looks at what organizations can learn from this experience today, from building crisis-ready capabilities to rethinking how leaders develop people in a world shaped by rapid change and AI.

This episode is part of the 2026 Cosmic Conference: Grounded & Limitless – Leading Organizations that Survive & Thrive, hosted by Cosmic Centaurs, an organizational and leadership development consultancy supporting leaders to build stronger, more adaptive organizations.

Most organizations only discover their true capabilities when they are tested.

In this episode, Dr. Saleh Al-Tamimi reflects on leading one of Saudi Arabia’s largest healthcare systems through both COVID-19 and a broader national transformation.

This is a conversation about what pressure reveals, what it builds, and how leaders can turn short-term responses into long-term strength.

We explore how systems scale under constraint, why innovation and efficiency go hand in hand, and what it takes to build organizations that can sustain performance beyond the leader.

Along the way, Dr. Al-Tamimi shares practical leadership practices around presence, trust, and empowerment, as well as personal reflections on resilience, burnout, and staying grounded in high-stakes environments.

Topics covered:

•  Leading through crisis vs. leading through transformation 
•  Scaling capacity and capability under pressure 
•  Building agility that lasts beyond urgency 
•  Innovation as a driver of efficiency 
•  Leadership at scale: trust, visibility, and empowerment 
•  Staying grounded as a leader over time 

About the Organizer
Cosmic Centaurs helps leaders and organizations navigate complexity, build capability, and drive meaningful change across the GCC.

In a world where disruption is no longer an exception but the norm, what distinguishes organizations that fragment under pressure from those that emerge stronger?

In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour speaks with Loïc Moutault about what it takes to build organizations that are both resilient and ready.

Drawing on decades of global leadership, Loïc reflects on how crises have evolved into a constant condition, what leaders often misunderstand about preparedness, and how organizations can build the structures, reflexes, and capabilities needed to navigate the unknown.

The conversation moves beyond response into transformation—exploring how moments of disruption can become sources of long-term strength, alignment, and renewed performance.

From leadership team dynamics to the personal demands of leading through uncertainty, this episode offers a grounded perspective on what leadership truly requires today.

This episode is part of the 2026 Cosmic Conference by Cosmic Centaurs, focused on helping leaders build organizations that can endure, adapt, and thrive.

Leadership in moments of transformation is often framed as a question of scale.

But what does it take to build at a global level while everything around you is still evolving?
When ambition is accelerating faster than systems, talent, and even industries themselves?

In these conditions, leadership shifts. It is no longer just about growth, but about building, integrating, and scaling all at once, often without precedent.

In Riyādah: From National Vision to Global Impact, Rajit Nanda, CEO of DataVolt, joins Marilyn Zakhour for a conversation on what it truly means to lead at the intersection of national ambition and global execution.

Riyādah, meaning leadership in Arabic, reflects a mindset. One that moves beyond participation to shaping industries, systems, and outcomes on a global stage.

In this session, you will gain:

A clearer understanding of what makes leading in the GCC uniquely complex today
Insight into how leaders build and scale simultaneously without relying on legacy playbooks
Practical ways to navigate decision-making when clarity does not mean certainty
A deeper perspective on integrating diverse teams, disciplines, and cultures into one system
Lessons on how regional ambition, speed, and relationships translate into global impact

This is a conversation for leaders who are not just growing organizations, but are building them to matter beyond borders.

🗓️ Tuesday, April 14, 2026
⏰ 4:00 PM Dubai time (GMT+4)

About the Organizer
Cosmic Centaurs is an Organizational and Leadership Development consultancy helping leaders and leadership teams make better decisions and effect sustainable change.

We created the Cosmic Conference as a free, open platform for learning, reflection, and connection. Each year, we gather thousands of leaders, thinkers, and practitioners to explore the questions and challenges that matter most to leadership today. Rooted in our belief that knowledge should be shared, the conference is our way of equipping leaders with fresh perspectives, practical tools, and a supportive community.

Leadership is often framed as an individual pursuit. In reality, especially in uncertain contexts, it is deeply shaped by the communities around us.

In this session from the 7th Cosmic Conference, Individual & Collective: The Power of Community, Tala Odeh is joined by Wafa Al Obaidat, Founder & CEO of Playbook, to explore how community influences how leaders think, decide, and move forward.

Drawing on her experience building a global community of over 800 members across 100+ countries, Wafa shares how intentional communities go beyond connection, becoming spaces where leaders find clarity, support, and opportunity.

Together, they unpack:

•  The difference between networks and true communities 
•  What leaders need from community when navigating complexity 
•  How strong communities are intentionally designed and sustained 
•  The rituals, norms, and behaviors that bring community to life 
•  How community compounds over time to shape decisions and outcomes 

The conversation also brings to life real stories from the Playbook ecosystem, where community has led to investments, partnerships, and career-defining opportunities.

This session is part of Week 3: Thrive, exploring how leaders can turn the lessons of crisis into a competitive advantage and emerge stronger, more connected, and better prepared for the future.

Not all crises are the same.

When uncertainty is prolonged, the rules of leadership change. There are no clear timelines, no reliable benchmarks, and often no precedent to guide decision-making. Leaders are required to act while the ground is still moving, balancing immediate pressures with the need to build for an unknown future.

In this episode, Claudia Zeisberger, Professor at INSEAD and expert in private capital and turnaround management, joins Marilyn Zakhour for a deep conversation on what it takes to lead when the crisis doesn’t end.

Together, they explore:

•  How prolonged crises fundamentally reshape decision-making and risk 
•  Why waiting for a “return to normal” can become a strategic trap 
•  How leaders can rethink core business assumptions under pressure 
•  The importance of scenario planning, cash awareness, and structural flexibility 
•  What enables organizations to adapt, innovate, and move forward in uncertainty 
•  The role of leadership, culture, and communication in navigating complexity 

This episode is part of the Cosmic Conference series, exploring how leaders can move beyond reacting to crisis and instead use it as a moment to reshape what comes next.

What actually makes a leadership team work as one?

In this episode, Roland Daher, CEO of AstroLabs shares the behind-the-scenes reality of building a high-performing leadership team while scaling a company in uncertain conditions.

From redefining strategy and introducing operating cadence, to navigating identity shifts as a CEO, Roland walks through the small, often overlooked disciplines that compound into organizational performance. 

Together with Marilyn Zakhour, the conversation explores:

•  The difference between alignment and true shared ownership 
•  Why harmony can undermine trust in leadership teams 
•  How to build systems that enable people, not depend on individuals 
•  The hardest shift leaders face when stepping out of execution 
•  Why the “boring basics” are what actually drive transformation 

This is not a conversation about frameworks or silver bullets.
 It is a grounded look at what it takes to build teams, systems, and leaders that can endure and perform under pressure.

What does it really take to lead when the stakes are high, the path is unclear, and the pressure is constant?

In this episode of Center Stage, Wissam Adib joins Marilyn Zakhour for a conversation on containment and ambition — and why the ability to hold complexity may be one of the most critical leadership capabilities today.

Drawing from his experience advising senior leaders and shaping large-scale transformation across the UAE, Wissam explores how leaders can move from control to containment — creating environments where teams can think, experiment, and perform under pressure.

Together, they unpack:

•  Why not all challenges are created equal — and how to distinguish complexity from complication 
•  The hidden impact of ambition on teams, and how anxiety shows up in systems 
•  The concept of negative capability — staying with uncertainty without rushing to act 
•  How leaders can contain pressure at the inner, relational, systemic, and symbolic levels 
•  What it takes to sustain both stability and momentum in uncertain environments 

This episode is part of Cosmic Conference 7 by Cosmic Centaurs — a leadership and organizational development consultancy working with leaders across the GCC to build more resilient, adaptive, and human-centered organizations. 

In Lebanon, crisis is not episodic. It is continuous.

In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour speaks with Maya Ibrahimchah, Founder of Beit el Baraka and Beit Kanz, about what it takes to build systems that endure in the face of ongoing economic, social, and political instability.

The conversation begins with a single moment. An encounter that revealed a hidden crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of retirees living without support or visibility. What followed was not a traditional charitable response, but the creation of a multi-layered ecosystem designed to restore dignity, agency, and long-term sustainability.

Maya shares how her work evolved across overlapping crises, from the Lebanese revolution to COVID-19, the Beirut explosion, and continued instability. Together, they unpack what it means to rethink aid as an economic model, design for resilience, and lead when certainty is not an option.

This episode is part of the Cosmic Conference series by Cosmic Centaurs, exploring how leaders navigate complexity and build systems that last.

About the Speaker

Maya Ibrahimchah is the Founder of Beit el Baraka and Beit Kanz, organizations redefining social support in Lebanon through sustainable, system-driven approaches.

About the Host

Marilyn Zakhour is the CEO & Founder of Cosmic Centaurs, a leadership and organizational development consultancy supporting leaders across the GCC.

Markets are shifting. Pipelines are slowing. Decisions are taking longer.

In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour speaks with Emad Odeh about what it takes to grow a business when the ground is less stable.

Rather than stepping back, the conversation explores how leaders can adapt the way they show up. From changing how they approach selling, to strengthening relationships, to recognizing opportunities that are less obvious but still very real.

Emad brings a grounded perspective shaped by decades of navigating cycles, crises, and complex markets.

This is a conversation about staying present, staying relevant, and continuing to build momentum when conditions are uncertain.

If you’re leading growth, business development, or client relationships right now, this episode offers a clear and practical lens on what to do differently.

In this Manager Mailbag session, Marilyn Zakhour and Tala Odeh explored the lived experience of middle managers leading through uncertainty.

Drawing on anonymized questions from managers across the GCC, the conversation focused on the tensions leaders are holding every day.

Balancing performance with people.
 Providing direction without full visibility.
 Knowing when to take control and when to empower.
 Navigating influence in systems where decisions sit elsewhere.

Rather than offering one-size-fits-all answers, this session unpacked how to navigate these tensions with more awareness, range, and intention.

It’s a practical, honest look at what it means to lead in the middle when the path forward is not always clear.

What does it mean to lead when everything around you is shifting, and not everyone is experiencing it the same way?

In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour is joined by Ghida Barakat to explore how leaders in the GCC are navigating layered and often conflicting realities.

From geopolitical tension to internal team dynamics, this conversation unpacks the complexity leaders are holding today, across both self and system.

They discuss how different experiences of the same moment can create invisible tension within teams, why leaders often default to reactive patterns under pressure, and what it takes to stay grounded while leading others through uncertainty.

This is a practical and reflective conversation for leaders working across diverse teams, where clarity is not always shared, but leadership is still required.

If you’re navigating complexity that doesn’t have a single narrative or clear answer, this episode offers a way to think about holding it, rather than resolving it too quickly.

What does leadership look like when crisis is not an exception, but a constant?

In this episode, Aline Kamakian, Founder of Mayrig and Batchig, joins us to share her experience leading through decades of instability in Lebanon—where crises are layered, ongoing, and deeply human.

This is a conversation about:

•  Leading when there is no stability to rely on 
•  Making decisions grounded in values, not fear 
•  Acting fast while thinking long-term 
•  Holding teams, communities, and ecosystems together 

We also explore the creation of Sofra, a platform that channels donations directly to restaurants to produce and distribute meals—supporting both displaced individuals and the wider food ecosystem. 

At its core, this episode is a reminder that leadership, in moments like these, is not just about sustaining performance—but about sustaining people.

About the Series
This episode is part of the Cosmic Conference 2026: Grounded & Limitless — Leading Organizations that Survive & Thrive, a 3-week series exploring how leaders endure, adapt, and grow through uncertainty. 

Decisive & Compassionate: Leadership in Downsizing

In times of uncertainty, leaders are often forced to make decisions they never hoped to face.

Reduce costs. Restructure teams. Protect the business.
 All while recognizing that these choices impact people’s lives.

In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour speaks with Rabih Brair, Partner at Tandem, about what it truly means to lead through downsizing in today’s context.

Together, they unpack:

•  Why many organizations move too quickly — and the risks of doing so 
•  How to “go back to basics” and quantify your financial reality 
•  The spectrum of responses leaders are taking across the GCC 
•  Alternatives to layoffs that preserve both cash and capability 
•  How to balance short-term survival with long-term sustainability 
•  What compassionate leadership actually looks like in practice 

This is a conversation grounded in real decisions leaders are making today — and the trade-offs they must navigate.

Because in moments like these, leadership is not just about protecting the business.
 It is about doing so without losing what makes it worth protecting.

What if the leadership wisdom we need today has always been part of our cultures?

In this episode, Rama Chakaki joins Marilyn Zakhour to explore leadership through a regional lens, one that moves beyond imported frameworks and reconnects with the cultural foundations of the Middle East.

Together, they reflect on:
 • Where global leadership models fall short in local contexts
 • The role of indigenous wisdom in shaping grounded leadership
 • Why resilience is not just a skill, but a cultural capability
 • How uncertainty can unlock locally-driven innovation

This conversation is part of the Cosmic Conference 2026, where leaders come together to explore what it takes for organizations to endure, adapt, and thrive in complex environments.

A thoughtful episode for leaders looking to stay anchored while navigating change.

In times of prolonged uncertainty, leadership is often framed as a question of strategy, decision-making, and execution.

But what if one of the most critical levers is something less visible—human connection?

In this episode, Marie Nakhle, Psychological Safety Lead at Cosmic Centaurs, sits down with Dr. Connie Noonan Hadley, organizational psychologist and Research Associate Professor at Boston University, to explore how uncertainty, loneliness, and AI are reshaping the way we experience work—and what leaders can do about it. 

Drawing on her research on workplace loneliness and psychological safety, Connie shares why connection is not just a wellbeing concern, but a core driver of performance, trust, and even successful AI adoption.

We discuss:

•  What it means to be “present and connected” at work today 
•  Why psychological safety matters more in times of pressure and change 
•  The growing reality of loneliness at work—and its impact on performance 
•  How AI is influencing connection, trust, and collaboration 
•  The concept of social confidence—and why it’s becoming essential 
•  What leaders can do to design more connected, resilient teams 
•  Why connection should be treated as infrastructure—not a perk 

This conversation is part of the Cosmic Conference 2026: Grounded & Limitless, exploring how leaders can help organizations endure, adapt, and ultimately thrive through uncertainty.

If you’re leading a team, navigating change, or thinking about the future of work, this episode offers a powerful reframe on what truly drives performance.

Follow Cosmic Centaurs for more conversations on leadership and organizational growth.
Share this episode with someone who might need it.

What do leaders say when they don’t have all the answers?

In moments of uncertainty, communication carries a different weight. It’s no longer just about sharing information, it’s about steadying people, building trust, and creating direction in environments that are often unclear.

In this episode, Tala Odeh (Capability Development Lead at Cosmic Centaurs) sits down with Claire Furlong, Partner at FGS Global, to explore what effective leadership communication looks like in high-pressure, complex situations.

Drawing on experience across global organizations, governments, and crisis contexts, Claire shares how leaders can navigate the tension between empathy and direction, what often goes wrong in moments like these, and how to communicate in a way that actually lands.

Together, they explore:

•  Why communication becomes a critical leadership lever in uncertainty 
•  How communication shifts between “peacetime” and “crisis” 
•  The common pitfalls leaders fall into under pressure 
•  How to balance empathy with clarity and direction 
•  Communicating across different stakeholders and audiences 
•  The role of cadence, structure, and consistency in reducing noise 
•  Practical tools, from crisis playbooks to messaging frameworks 

This episode is part of the Cosmic Conference 2026:
 Grounded & Limitless: Leading Organizations that Survive & Thrive

About the Guest

Claire Furlong is a Partner at FGS Global, advising organizations on strategic communications in high-stakes and complex environments.

She previously served as General Manager of Marketing & Communications at the International Cricket Council (ICC), where she led communications across major global events and periods of intense scrutiny. Her career spans journalism, consultancy, and leadership roles across international organizations.

About the Host

Tala Odeh is the Capability Development Lead at Cosmic Centaurs, a leadership and organizational development consultancy based in the GCC. Her work focuses on helping leaders and teams navigate complexity, strengthen communication, and build high-performing organizations.

Show Notes / Key Moments 

•  Communication as a stabilizing force in uncertainty 
•  The gap between what leaders say and what employees hear 
•  Empathy vs direction: why it’s harder than it sounds 
•  Stakeholder alignment in moments of pressure 
•  Moving from reactive messaging to structured communication

What does it really take to stay steady when everything around you isn’t?

In this episode, we explored how leaders navigated the emotional weight of uncertainty — balancing fear, responsibility, and constant change, often all at once. While strategy played a role, the conversation surfaced something deeper: how a leader’s internal state shapes not only their decisions, but the experience of everyone around them.

Sandra Salame, Founder of Siira, joined us to share what she and her team have been hearing directly from leaders through their dialogue circles — the patterns, pressures, and internal struggles that don’t always get named.

Together, we unpacked:

•  What leaders were truly experiencing during moments of uncertainty 
•  The emotional patterns that surfaced under pressure 
•  How different responses shaped leadership behavior and decision-making 
•  The hidden drivers — fear, denial, and shame — influencing leaders 
•  How leaders could recognize when their internal state was impacting their teams 
•  Practical ways to create stability, communicate clearly, and support teams without dismissing reality 

This episode offers a grounded and honest look at leadership in uncertain times — and what it took to remain calm, courageous, and intentional when it mattered most.

About the Series
This episode is part of the Cosmic Conference by Cosmic Centaurs — an open platform bringing together leaders, thinkers, and practitioners to explore what leadership demands today.

Cosmic Centaurs is an organizational and leadership development consultancy helping leaders and teams make better decisions and drive sustainable change.

Opening Keynote | Cosmic Conference 2026
Grounded & Limitless: Leading Through Uncertainty

Today’s leaders are navigating a level of uncertainty that is layered, prolonged, and constantly shifting. Decisions are being made faster, with less clarity, and under increasing pressure, while teams look to their leaders for stability and direction.

In this opening keynote, Marilyn Zakhour (Founder & CEO of Cosmic Centaurs) explores what it really takes to lead in these conditions.

This session sets the tone for the 7th annual Cosmic Conference, a three-week virtual experience focused on how organizations can navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and continue to grow.

In this keynote, you’ll explore:

•  How leaders make decisions under pressure and incomplete information 
•  What resilience actually looks like at an organizational level 
•  Why surviving uncertainty is not enough and how to build for what’s next 
•  The balance between staying grounded in reality and creating future possibilities 
•  Practical leadership perspectives drawn from real-world crises and research 

The conference is structured around three key themes:
Endure. Adapt. Thrive.
Each week explores the leadership practices that help organizations stay steady, move forward, and emerge stronger.

Join us:
https://www.cosmiccentaursconference.com/

What does it mean to lead not as a career, but as a form of service?

In this episode of Center Stage, Marilyn Zakhour sits down with Muna AbuSulayman, one of the most influential voices in the Arab world across media, philanthropy, leadership development, and social impact. Named among the 500 most influential Muslims globally, Muna has spent her career shaping narratives, empowering communities, and building institutions that expand opportunity.

In this deeply reflective conversation, Muna shares the philosophy that has guided her unconventional journey. Rather than building a career around titles or sectors, she has consistently followed a single question: where can I create the greatest impact?

Together, they explore:
- Why leadership in the region is often rooted in service and collective responsibility
- How purpose can remain constant while the tools we use to pursue it change
- The role of risk, resilience, and personal conviction in shaping a leadership journey
- Why networks and weak ties often open the most unexpected doors
- The importance of understanding civilizational values when leading across cultures

Muna also reflects on leadership through a deeply human lens, speaking openly about difficult decisions, personal sacrifice, the importance of “fallow time,” and the need for leaders to care for their health, families, and inner alignment.

The conversation also explores her newest initiative, the Azm Global Leadership Fellowship, designed to equip the next generation of Muslim leaders with the ethical grounding, intellectual depth, and leadership capabilities needed to navigate a world shaped by AI, climate change, and global transformation.

This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership is not about visibility or status. It is about responsibility, clarity of purpose, and the courage to align your life with the impact you hope to create in the world.

In this Season IV premiere of Center Stage, Marilyn Zakhour, CEO of Cosmic Centaurs opens a bold new chapter. After years of exploring global case studies and leadership lessons from around the world, this season turns the lens inward. It asks a powerful question: What can the world learn from leadership in the Arab world?

Marilyn reflects on her own journey from declining media interviews in the name of humility to embracing public presence as responsibility. She shares the cultural tension many leaders in the region feel between visibility and vanity, and why that narrative must shift.

This episode explores:
Why silence is no longer humility but missed responsibility
The gap in academic research on leadership in the Arab world
The concept of narrative sovereignty and why it matters
The values that shape leadership in this region, from hospitality to collective responsibility
How a new documentation movement is beginning

Season IV is not just a podcast series. It is an archive in the making. A collective act of authorship. A declaration that leaders from this region will tell their own stories.

If you care about the future of leadership, identity, and influence from the Arab world, this is where the conversation begins.

In this episode of our Psych Safety in Focus webinar series, Marie Nakhle and Tala Odeh dive into the first of 4 Domains that shape whether teams can truly perform, learn, and adapt together: Inclusion & Diversity 

Too often, inclusion is treated as separate from performance. In reality, it’s foundational to it. When people don’t feel included, unique voices go unheard, and psychological safety never fully takes hold.

In this session, we explored:
🔹How inclusion and diversity show up in everyday team dynamics
🔹Why they matter deeply for psychological safety (not just culture statements)
🔹What leaders can do to create environments where more voices are actually heard

What if visibility is not ego, but leadership?

In this episode, we turn the mic on Cosmic Centaurs’ founder and CEO, Marilyn Zakhour, in a candid conversation about why leaders in the GCC and wider MENA region must step into public presence with intention, and what it truly takes to do it well.

From cultural norms around humility and discretion, to structural gaps in media ecosystems and speaking circuits, we explore the real reasons many accomplished executives hesitate to share their voice publicly. Yet in a region shaping some of the world’s most ambitious economic transformations, silence is no longer neutral. It leaves the narrative to others.

Together, we unpack:

• The tension between humility and visibility, and how to reframe it
• Why public presence is a strategic asset, not a personal indulgence
• The role of leadership voice in building trust, attracting talent, and accelerating growth
• What narrative sovereignty means for the Arab world
• The research gap around leadership from the region, and why it is time to change that

Marilyn also shares her personal journey from declining media interviews to building a disciplined, purpose driven public presence, and introduces The Compelling Communicator, a program designed to help founders and senior leaders craft a voice that is authentic, strategic, and deeply rooted in service.

If you are a CEO, founder, or executive who knows you have something meaningful to say but are not sure how to begin, this episode is your invitation to step forward.

Because in this region, visibility is not ego. It is responsibility.

What really happens when leaders pause long enough to measure psychological safety—and then dare to talk about what they find?

In this episode of Psychological Safety in Focus, we sit down with Mazuba Haanyama, independent consultant with over 15 years of experience working across tech, government, corporates, and civil society, to explore what measuring psychological safety looks like in practice.

Together, we unpack why Mazuba chose to run a psychological safety scan with her team, what the data revealed beneath the surface, and how the conversations that followed reshaped trust, leadership behaviors, and team dynamics. From navigating vulnerability as a leader, to balancing compassion with execution, to creating shared accountability within a team, this conversation goes far beyond scores and surveys.

This episode is a candid, reflective look at:

• Why psychological safety doesn’t require something to be “broken” to be valuable
• How data can unlock conversations teams struggle to have otherwise
• The role of leadership intention, predictability, and consistency
• What leaders often miss—and what changes when they truly listen
• How teams can turn insight into rituals, commitments, and long-term impact

If you’re a leader curious about psychological safety, unsure where to start, or wondering what happens after the measurement, this episode offers a grounded, human perspective on what it takes to build teams where people feel safe to speak up, learn, and perform, together.

This is the first of our Cosmic Centaurs Psychological Safety webinar series with a deep dive into the insights uncovered during our recent roundtable in Dubai, held in partnership with Sander Hoeken, Co-founder of The Fearless Organization Scan, where 18 HR leaders came together to discuss how psychological safety is understood and practiced across the MENA region.

The session will be facilitated by Marie Nakhle, Psychological Safety Lead at Cosmic Centaurs, in conversation with Marilyn Zakhour, CEO and Founder of Cosmic Centaurs and Hadeel Kabosh, Senior Consultant at Cosmic Centaurs. 

In this webinar, Marie and Marilyn unpack the most important findings: what shapes leadership priorities, how multicultural teams navigate feedback and hierarchy, why psychological safety is often misunderstood, and how sector-specific contexts, from oil & gas to client-facing industries, require tailored language and approaches to make the concept meaningful and actionable.

Download the report here: https://www.cosmiccentaurs.com/rd-11-psych-safety-roundtable-key-learnings

As part of our Psych Safety in Focus webinar series, this is a special follow-up session to unpack the biggest insights, themes, and breakthroughs from the global event.

Marilyn Zakhour, CEO of Cosmic Centaurs, and Marie Nakhle, Psychological Safety Lead shared what they took from Psych Safety Day 
🔹What Cosmic Centuars learned from the world’s leading researchers and facilitators
🔹Practical tools shared on curiosity, failure, belonging, and high-performing teams
🔹Their reflections and takeaways from a full day of experiential sessions and keynotes
🔹A readout of the findings from the annual global research on psychological safety


Here is The Contribution Method Cheat Sheet that was co-created during CHAD LITTLEFIELD session that Marie mentioned in the webinar: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1clqQQdYv4l6iomLmI6-zFquVRWEnBWwZ4dOBaMLWdXM/

Cosmic Centaurs is the exclusive MENA partner of The Fearless Organization. We bring globally recognized tools to help you create a psychologically safe work environment. In diverse, multicultural teams across GCC companies, building trust, respect, and open communication is essential to reduce fear at work and empower employees to contribute.

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A conversation with Russell John Cailey, CEO and Founder of Elham Studio and Almach AI, and Tala Odeh, Capability Development Lead at Cosmic Centaurs.

As AI accelerates, collapses time, and democratizes knowledge, the world of work is undergoing a transformation unlike anything we have seen before. The question is no longer whether AI will replace some jobs. The real question is: What human capabilities become more valuable than ever

In this session, Russell and Tala explore:
• How AI is reshaping how we learn, grow, and work
• Why traditional learning systems lag behind and how to reimagine them
• The uniquely human skills we must double down on
• Firefly Sprints and the Collapse of Time from Russell’s book, The Firefly Effect
• Six month transformation cycles and why they work
• What leaders must do to build adaptive, future ready organizations
• What employees can practice to stay relevant and resilient in an AI driven world

Drawing on decades of global learning innovation, from THINK Global School to advisory work with educators, foundations, and companies, Russell brings a rare systems level perspective. His book The Firefly Effect challenges outdated assumptions about time, capability, and human potential, offering practical ways to design learning that is continuous, contextual, and deeply human.

Tala brings Cosmic Centaurs’ perspective on systems thinking, leadership development, and organizational capability building, exploring how companies can move away from annual cycles and surface level AI adoption and toward real, meaningful transformation.

About the Speakers
Russell John Cailey
CEO and Founder, Elham Studio and Almach AI
Amazon Bestselling Author of The Firefly Effect
Global Leader in Transformative Education and Learning Innovation

Tala Odeh
Capability Development Lead, Cosmic Centaurs

Topics Covered:
AI and learning, capability development, systems thinking, organizational transformation, Firefly Effect, Firefly Sprints, collapse of time, leadership in uncertainty, six month transformation cycles, future skills, emotional intelligence, discernment, storytelling, strategic learning, L and D innovation.

Resources:
The Firefly Effect by Russell John Cailey: https://www.thefireflyeffectbook.com/bookhome

Cosmic Centaurs: https://www.cosmiccentaurs.com

If you enjoyed this session, share your reflections in the comments and subscribe for more conversations on leadership, learning, and the future of work.

Workplaces are at their best when every individual’s strengths are recognized and supported. Together, Dr Molly Taylor & Tala Odeh will explore what neurodivergence truly means, the strengths it brings, and the misconceptions that limit progress. 

Together, we’ll look at the everyday realities of neurodivergent employees and the steps leaders can take to design systems, cultures, and learning experiences where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

This session provides leaders, people & culture professionals, and L&D executives who want to build environments where neurodivergent employees can thrive.

After seven weeks of exploring systems thinking through the lens of leadership, culture, and transformation, the 2025 Cosmic Conference comes full circle with a powerful closing conversation.

Professor José Santos, Affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management at INSEAD, joins Marilyn Zakhour to challenge and deepen the conference’s central idea: Is the system really the strategy?

Together, they explore how leaders can move from managing parts to understanding the whole and why seeing organizations as living, interconnected systems may be the most strategic mindset of all.

They discuss:
 🔹 Why most leaders struggle to see systems and how to learn to see them
 🔹 The difference between simple, complicated, and complex systems
 🔹 How emergence and interaction shape performance over time
 🔹 Why resilience comes from managing relationships, not parts
 🔹 How imagination, observation, and time help leaders design better systems

This closing session is a reflection on the essence of systems thinking, a bridge between theory and practice, between how we lead and how we live.

Culture isn’t the soft stuff, it’s the system that makes everything else work.

In this lively conversation, Marilyn Zakhour and Tala Ode from Cosmic Centaurs unpack how culture shows up not in slogans or posters, but in the invisible systems that shape how organizations operate: how decisions are made, how meetings run, how feedback flows, and how people feel when they show up to work.

Using the Omnichannel Organization™ framework, they explore how leaders can design culture through structure, process, people, and controls, so that it’s not an HR initiative, but a way of working that delivers results.

Together, they discuss:
 🔹 Why culture isn’t a “project” but the operating system of an organization
 🔹 How strategy and culture reinforce (or destroy) each other
 🔹 The signals your org structure and workspace send about your values
 🔹 How to measure and reward cultural behaviors, not just performance
 🔹 What startups and fast-growing companies must know about scaling culture

This episode redefines culture as something built, measured, and lived. A system that connects purpose to practice.

Time is the one system every leader struggles to manage — and the one that reveals how well all the others work.

In this energizing conversation, Diren Bhatia, entrepreneur, coach, and founder of Cloudscape Technologies, joins Tala Ode to explore how leaders and founders can redesign their relationship with time. From his own journey of moving from a 14-hour-day founder to a “part-time CEO,” Diren shares how systems, rituals, and mindset shifts can help leaders free themselves from firefighting and refocus on what really matters.

Together, they explore:
 🔹 Why working harder isn’t the answer — designing smarter systems is
 🔹 How to move from founder to CEO and build teams that thrive without you
 🔹 The art (and unlearning) of delegation and trust
 🔹 Simple rituals and rhythms that reclaim focus, energy, and white space
 🔹 Why every effective system must be agile, imperfect, and human

This conversation is a powerful reminder that time freedom isn’t about doing less — it’s about doing what matters most, by design.

How do you nudge a 13,000-person organization to move from managing change to creating the conditions for change?

In this conversation, Chun Feng “Breeze” Dong, Associate Director of Organizational Development at Roche, joins Marilyn Zakhour to share how she and her team applied systems thinking to enable large-scale learning, collaboration, and innovation across global teams.

Drawing from years of experimentation inside one of the world’s leading healthcare companies, Breeze shows how transformation becomes continuous, not episodic when leaders think like gardeners, creating the right conditions for people and ideas to grow.

Together, they explore:
 🔹 How systems thinking helped unlock collaboration across 140 countries
 🔹 The power of identifying “cultural carriers” to drive change from within
 🔹 How transparency, purpose, and learning can fuel self-organized innovation
 🔹 Why leaders must trust the wisdom of the system instead of controlling it
 🔹 How to stay grounded and human while navigating large-scale change

This is a story of what happens when leadership evolves from fixing parts to evolving the whole.

What does it take to lead transformation across one of the region’s most complex organizations, and make it human?

In this powerful conversation, Ibraheem Sheerah, Chief Transformation Officer at Saudia Group, joins Marilyn Zakhour to share how he led one of the Kingdom’s most ambitious transformation journeys, reshaping not just an airline, but the ecosystem around it.

Through stories that span from listening to a security guard’s advice to engaging pilots, suppliers, and customers in change, Ibraheem reveals how transformation begins with humility, courage, and deep listening.

Together, they explore:
 🔹 How to turn resistance into ownership across large systems
 🔹 Why leaders must build connection before they build change
 🔹 How to balance structure, speed, and humanity in transformation
 🔹 What it means to lead through polarities: vision and detail, authority and service
 🔹 Why every sustainable system starts with gratitude and self-work

This conversation is a masterclass in leading with purpose, conviction, and care, a reminder that real transformation is not about control, but about trust.

Parenthood is one of the most complex systems we’ll ever navigate — and for working parents, it often runs in parallel with another: work.

In this heartfelt conversation Faten Fathallah, Marie Nakhle, Marilyn Zakhour, Tala Odeh, and Zeinab Makke from the Cosmic Centaurs team join Hadeel Kabosh to explore how they design, adapt, and sustain systems that help them thrive as both professionals and parents.

Together, they reflect on:
 🔹 How motherhood reshapes priorities, time, and definitions of success
 🔹 Why community, communication, and boundaries are essential to balance
 🔹 The rituals, processes, and rules that keep their households (and sanity) in check
 🔹 What organizations can do to better support parents in the workplace

This conversation is a celebration of intention, imperfection, and the invisible systems that make it all work.

What does it mean to bring humanity back into our systems, and to see ourselves as part of them?

In this conversation, Dr. José-Rodrigo Córdoba-Pachón, Associate Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, joins Marilyn Zakhour to explore the intersection of systems thinking, rituals, and the art of being. Together, they reflect on how leaders can find balance between doing and being, structure and spontaneity, efficiency and presence.

They discuss:
 🔹 How philosophy, poetry, and systems thinking can inform modern leadership
 🔹 The role of rituals in creating meaning, boundaries, and connection
 🔹 Why reflection and lightness are essential to navigate complexity
 🔹 How to design systems that leave space for silence, creativity, and humanity

This conversation invites leaders to slow down, question assumptions, and rediscover the simple, human truths at the heart of every system.

Innovation rarely fails because of a lack of ideas. It fails because the systems around it are built for compliance, not experimentation.

In this episode, Wissam Adib, Executive Coach and former Advisor at the UAE Prime Minister’s Office, joins Marilyn Zakhour to explore what it really takes to build systems that foster innovation at scale. Drawing on two decades of experience shaping national innovation frameworks in the UAE, Wissam shares lessons that apply to both governments and organizations everywhere.

Together, they explore:
 🔹 How to build a system that makes innovation repeatable and sustainable
 🔹 What it means to balance governance with experimentation
 🔹 Why ambidexterity is a core leadership muscle
 🔹 How leaders can separate themselves from the systems they shape
 🔹 What organizations can learn from the UAE’s journey of embedding innovation

This conversation blends systems thinking, leadership, and strategy with practical insights from one of the region’s most experienced innovation architects.

In leadership, we often focus on strategies, frameworks, and structures. But what keeps systems alive are the people within them — their purpose, presence, and connection.

In this soulful conversation, Rawan Albina, Leadership & Wellbeing Academies Director at Chalhoub Group, joins Marilyn Zakhour to explore the human and emotional dimensions of systems. Together, they discuss how leaders can nurture balance, resilience, and meaning within complex organizations.

They explore:
🔹 What it means to fully occupy your place within a system
🔹 How comfort zones and flow coexist, and why both matter
🔹 How leaders can stay grounded while in constant motion
🔹 Why purpose doesn’t have to be grand, it can be as simple as opening hearts
🔹 Practical ways to bring connection, feedback, and mindfulness into everyday leadership

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and remember that every thriving system begins with a centered, conscious human being.

Most leaders want high performance. Few know how to sustain it.
In this energizing session, Stoyan Yankov, productivity & performance consultant, bestselling author, and co-creator of the PERFORM methodology, joins Marilyn Zakhour to unpack what it really takes to build teams that deliver results and stay energized.

Together, they explore how leaders can:
 🔹 Design systems that balance productivity and people
 🔹 Turn clarity, planning, and focus into everyday habits
 🔹 Build cultures of ownership, communication, and resilience
 🔹 Transform crisis and pressure into catalysts for better systems

This episode is packed with practical frameworks, from purpose and planning to mental toughness, and a powerful reminder that great systems aren’t built overnight. They’re built through consistency.

🎥 Watch now to learn how to perform better, longer, and with heart.

Metrics can tell you if you’re moving, but not whether you’re moving in the right direction.
In this conversation, Daniel Delati, Managing Partner at 360 Consulting, and Mazuba Haanyama, Independent Consultant, join Hadeel Kabosh from Cosmic Centaurs to explore what it really takes to design systems that make impact visible, measurable, and meaningful.

Together, they dive into:
 🔹 How leaders can deliver impact by design strategies anchored in purpose
🔹 Why clarity and curiosity are the missing links in most measurement frameworks
🔹 How storytelling and listening help organizations communicate the “why” behind the numbers
🔹 What private sector leaders can learn from nonprofits about doing more with less

This dialogue goes beyond metrics, it’s a reflection on purpose, power, and the systems that sustain change.

🎥 Watch now to learn how to build systems that don’t just measure impact, but amplify it.

What if you could train your brain to think more effectively, to see connections, anticipate ripple effects, and redesign the systems you operate in?

In this episode of the 2025 Cosmic Conference: The System is the Strategy, Cosmic Centaurs CEO Marilyn Zakhour is joined by Dr. Derek Cabrera and Dr. Laura Cabrera, founders of the Cabrera Research Lab and professors at Cornell University. Together, they unpack what systems thinking really means and how leaders can move from firefighting to future building.

💡 In this session, you’ll learn:

• What systems thinking is and why it’s an essential skill for leaders.
• The six practical moves that can improve your systems thinking ability by 550%.
• How to apply systems thinking across contexts, from leading teams to raising kids.
• Why understanding and aligning mental models can resolve most workplace (and personal) conflicts.

🌍 Whether you’re leading a team, building a company, or simply trying to make sense of complexity, this conversation offers a simple, science-backed framework for thinking smarter about the systems that shape our world.

🎙 About the Speakers:
Dr. Derek Cabrera is a systems and cognitive scientist, author of Systems Thinking Made Simple, and founder of the Cabrera Research Lab at Cornell University.

Dr. Laura Cabrera is CEO and co-founder of the Cabrera Research Lab and a leading voice in making systems science accessible and practical across sectors.

Host: Marilyn Zakhour, CEO of Cosmic Centaurs, organizational and leadership development consultancy.

🧭 The 2025 Cosmic Conference Theme:
The System is the Strategy: How the most effective leaders shift from Firefighting to Future Building.

We often think of psychological safety as something created within teams — but what about the systems, structures, and incentives that surround them? 🌍

In this powerful Cosmic Conference 2025 session, Sander Hoeken, Co-Founder of The Fearless Organization Scan and Founder of CellSpace, joins Marilyn Zakhour, CEO of Cosmic Centaurs and Harvard Business Review author, to explore how organizations can build systems that sustain psychological safety at scale.

Moderated by Marie Nakhle, Senior Consultant at Cosmic Centaurs, this conversation moves beyond theory to offer tangible, system-level practices leaders can implement to make psychological safety part of how their organizations operate every day.

💬 In this session, you’ll learn:

• How HR policies, incentives, and physical space shape psychological safety
• Systemic practices that embed psychological safety across teams and functions
• How to balance safety with accountability for higher performance
• Why leaders often overestimate how much they hear from their teams
• How to adapt psychological safety to multicultural and high-context workplaces

🎙️ About the Speakers:

• Sander Hoeken has been at the forefront of transforming Amy Edmondson’s research on psychological safety into actionable tools through The Fearless Organization Scan, used by companies like Microsoft, Adobe, Merck, and Accenture.
• Marilyn Zakhour is the Founder & CEO of Cosmic Centaurs, a leadership and organizational development consultancy that has impacted over 90,000 individuals across 92 countries. She is also a university lecturer and the host of Centaur Stage.
• Moderator: Marie Nakhle, Senior Consultant at Cosmic Centaurs and Certified Psychological Safety Practitioner.

AI is not just another wave of technological change, it’s reshaping the very systems that govern how we work, lead, and create value. In this episode, Imad Lahad, Global Chair for AI & Intelligence at APCO, joins Marilyn Zakhour to explore what it means to lead through disruption when the old playbooks no longer apply.

Together, they unpack how leaders can:
 🔹 Redesign business models and infrastructures for an AI-driven world
 🔹 Create new loops of value instead of chasing incremental improvements
 🔹 Rethink the role of middle management for AI-native generations
 🔹 Stay grounded, authentic, and human amid accelerating change

This conversation invites leaders to move from being objects of the system to architects of new ones,  shifting from reacting to designing, from surviving disruption to shaping what comes next.