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PODCAST

Centaur Stage

Cosmic Centaurs

Centaur Stage is a podcast by Cosmic Centaurs exploring bold ideas about the future of work and learning. In each episode, podcast host, CEO & Founder of Cosmic Centaurs Marilyn Zakhour is joined by incredible guests to share insights, opinions, and perspectives about the future of how we work and learn.

business management

All Episodes

70:08

Purpose & Impact: Stories from Team Centaur | Cosmic...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/17

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&n...

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114:58

Leading & Governing at the Edge of Uncertainty with...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/16

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 d...

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79:45

Resilient & Ready Building Global Organizations that...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/16

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...

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56:50

Pressure & Performance: How Crisis Reshapes the...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/16

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 ...

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57:36

Lives & Livelihoods: Lessons from the UAE Crisis...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/16

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 a...

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62:20

Riyadah: From National Vision to Global Impact with...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/14

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 o...

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62:03

Individual & Collective: The Power of Community with...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/13

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...

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64:38

Present & Future: Leading when the Crisis Doesnt End...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/13

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 w...

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64:01

Trust & Tension: Building Leadership Teams that...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/09

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 expl...

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66:14

Containment & Ambition: Delivering Visionary Impact...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/08

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 containme...

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65:02

Dignity & Hospitality: Turning Crisis into Community...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/07

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 resp...

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64:19

Relationships & Results Business Development in a...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/06

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...

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61:34

Manager Mailbag: Answering Questions about Leading...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/06

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...

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61:06

Self & System | When the Ground Moves: Leading Across...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/03

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 te...

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52:07

Food & Solidarity: Responding to Crisis One Meal at a...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/02

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, comm...

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60:00

Decisive & Compassionate Leadership in Downsizing...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/02

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 — an...

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54:44

Indigenous Wisdom for Uncertain Times with Rama...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/04/01

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, b...

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61:48

Present & Connected: Human Connection in Uncertain...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/03/31

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...

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54:19

Empathy & Direction: Leadership Communication in...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/03/31

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, compl...

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59:22

CLARITY & COURAGE: Emotional Regulation in a Crisis...

Centaur Stage ·

2026/03/30

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 be...

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117 results

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