What if the key to more engaged employees isn’t a new incentive program, but something much more human?

In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour and Dr. Constance Noonan Hadley take you behind the scenes of their three-year research journey on team rituals—work that led to their widely read Harvard Business Review article.

Together, they unpack the data that proves rituals boost team commitment, psychological safety, and job satisfaction—and they share personal stories from the research process, including what surprised them most along the way.

From childhood traditions to corporate rituals that actually work, this conversation is both insightful and deeply personal. Plus, don’t miss the rapid-fire round, where Marilyn and Connie challenge each other with unexpected questions about their collaboration.

Tune in to learn:
✔ What makes a team ritual truly meaningful
✔ How rituals shape human connection at work
✔ The hardest part of researching and implementing rituals
✔ What Marilyn and Connie really think about certain team traditions

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a culture of trust, engagement, and connection, this episode is for you.

In the closing session of The Cosmic Conference, Marilyn Zakhour is joined by Jose Santos, Affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management at INSEAD, to explore the intricate art of managing polarities in leadership.

Jose challenges conventional wisdom, shedding light on the importance of distinguishing true polarities—those interdependent tensions that sustain systems—from false dichotomies or oversimplified trade-offs. Through rich examples, he delves into situations where polarity thinking fails, such as contexts demanding radical decisions or cases where the interplay of whole systems and their parts is misunderstood.

The conversation also addresses how leaders can integrate systemic and multilevel thinking into their strategies to avoid oversimplification and foster long-term resilience. Jose reflects on the global implications of polarity thinking, offering insights into governance, innovation, and managing cultural diversity in multinational enterprises.


Jose Santos is an Affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management.
After spending 20 years in the managerial world, Joe moved from Italy to INSEAD and devoted himself to scholarly work, a dream from his youth.
Joe’s research and teaching focuses on the management of multinational enterprise, particularly on the management of global integration, and global innovation.

In this episode of the Cosmic Conference series, Marilyn Zakhour unpacks how organizations can thrive by mastering the inherent polarities that define modern leadership. Drawing lessons from iconic case studies, such as Fujifilm and Kodak, Marilyn explores how strategy, structure, and culture can be aligned to build resilient, ambidextrous organizations that navigate complexity with grace.

Tune in to learn:

• Why mastering polarities like exploration vs. exploitation and innovation vs. efficiency is key for organizational resilience.
• How frameworks like Dave Snowden’s Cynefin Framework (link), McKinsey’s 3 Horizons of Growth (link), and Geoffrey Moore’s Zone to Win (link) can guide leaders toward sustainable growth.
• How Gary Pisano’s insights on Innovative Cultures (link) can help create a culture that balances risk-taking with high standards.
• The importance of ambidextrous organizational structures for navigating present demands while preparing for future opportunities.

🎧 Dive deeper into the stories of Fujifilm and Kodak on previous episodes of Centaur Stage:

• Fujifilm: Navigating the Tides of Change
• Kodak: When Innovation Goes Wrong