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.