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

Join us for a keynote with #Burnout Research & Coach Matt Bartlett-Bond MSc GMBPsS who shares his insights and research about burnout with CEO & Founder, Marilyn Zakhour.

Matt is a key contributor to a global research initiative focused on understanding workplace burnout and promoting healthier behaviors to drive sustainable growth.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the IT sector, he offers a unique perspective on how management practices impact individual well-being and organizational outcomes.

In 2019, he pursued an MSc in Occupational and Organisational Psychology at the University of Surrey, studying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workplace dynamics, highlighting the importance of communication, empathy, and self-care in preventing burnout and fostering resilience.

Matt's expertise and research-backed insights make him a valuable resource for organizations aiming to improve employee well-being and long-term success.

Join us for a keynote and discussion with Executive Coach and Partner at Cultivating Leadership Gayle Karen Young Whyte as she explores the essential polarities organizations face in shaping their strategies and culture. Discover how to effectively leverage these tensions to foster an organization that thrives.

Gayle Karen Young is a cultural architect and a catalyst for human and organizational development. She comes from a rich organizational consulting background with both corporate and nonprofit clients.
She was in the process of becoming a Zen monk when she became an executive instead, taking on the role of Chief Culture and Talent Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation (CHRO for Wikipedia and its sister free-knowledge projects) until early 2015 when she joined Cultivating Leadership.

Our guests Ayoub Semaan and Janine Weber-el Meouchy offer a new approach to leading organizational change in today's complex and unpredictable world, moving beyond traditional change management tools to leverage relational skills, systemic thinking, and facilitation techniques.

Janine is the Executive Director of Teach For Lebanon, where she leads efforts to drive educational impact in the region. With degrees in Politics and Sociology and Education for Sustainable Development, Janine has extensive experience in NGO leadership, human rights, and strategic development regionally and internationally. Her passion for development extends to co-founding youth and environmental initiatives and chairing an NGO for children with disabilities.
Ayoub is an Executive Coach and Partner at Cultivating Leadership, where he designs development programs for executives and boards across the GCC, Europe, the US, and South Asia. Ayoub holds an MBA from Stanford, a Master’s in Energy Economics, and an Engineering degree from Ecole Polytechnique. Ayoub is also Chairing the board of Teach For Lebanon and an Executive Director at Shumuly

Join Marilyn Zakhour for the opening keynote of the 2024 #CosmicConference, as she explores how exceptional leaders navigate the complexities of today's landscape by embracing polarities at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

In this episode, we delve into Nokia's incredible rise and dramatic fall. Once a global leader with 40% of the market share, Nokia connected 1.5 billion people and led the mobile industry. But what caused this giant to crumble?

Join Marilyn as she explores the pivotal moments that defined Nokia's journey, from groundbreaking innovations to missed opportunities in the smartphone era. Discover how internal conflicts, poor strategic decisions, and a stifling culture of fear led to Nokia's downfall.

Learn valuable lessons from Nokia's story and gain insights into the deeper organizational issues that can make or break a company. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or a business professional, this episode offers a profound exploration of Nokia's legacy.

Tune in for an engaging narrative on the rise and fall of Nokia. Visit www.CosmicCentaurs.com for more content on leadership and organizational development, and subscribe to our newsletters for the latest updates.