Food & Solidarity: Responding to Crisis One Meal at a Time With Aline Kamakian- 2026 Cosmic Conference LinkedIn Live Session

About the Session

In this session, Aline reflects on what it means to lead through continuous crisis, drawing from her experience building and sustaining both businesses and community-driven initiatives in Lebanon. She shares how staying anchored in core values, listening deeply, and acting with intention allows leaders to respond in real time while preserving dignity, quality, and hope.

Key Takeaways

1. Leading in Crisis Requires Continuity

In environments where instability is constant, leadership is about maintaining movement and holding direction even when conditions are unclear. Resilient leaders expand their reach across different environments. They don’t depend on a single source of stability and avoid being consumed by external noise.

2. Core Values as Decision-making Compass

In moments of pressure, leaders tend to move from strategic thinking to reactive behavior. This is where values become critical. Aline’s philosophy is consistent: “Stay within your values, and you can always catch up.”

Decisions grounded in values allow leaders to act quickly without losing direction.

3. Leadership Begins with Protecting People

Strong leadership recognizes that organizations are sustained by people, not structures. At the heart of Aline’s approach is a simple principle: the team comes first. During crises, this means:

• Prioritizing salaries and stability where possible

• Shielding people from unnecessary negativity

Creating a sense of safety in uncertain conditions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kYxvTdXsME

4. From Business Leader to Community Builder

Leadership does not stop at the boundaries of the business. In times of crisis, it extends into the wider ecosystem. This means recognizing the interdependence between: Businesses, Communities and Local economies.

Leaders should anchor their business in a strong “why” because what keeps resilient leaders going is the strength of their purpose.

Leaders are required to think in terms of systems by creating networks of support, strengthening relationships across stakeholders, and designing solutions that serve multiple needs simultaneously.

Support, especially in times of crisis, is about how basic needs are met and how dignity is preserved. Maintaining dignity requires:

• Attention to quality and care

• Respect for people’s identity and pride

• Thoughtfulness in execution, not just speed

  
  

5. The Inner Work of Leadership

Leadership in crisis begins with acknowledging reality, even when it is difficult. Accepting what is happening allows decisions to be grounded in what is truly happening rather than what is wished for.

Sustained leadership requires managing exposure to information, filtering noise and negativity to preserve clarity and focus.

Leaders must intentionally create space to regulate their energy, ensuring they can continue operating effectively over time.

When creativity is limited in crisis, relying on pre-existing structures and captured ideas enables continued action.

Effective leadership requires listening beyond words, understanding the context and emotions driving reactions.

Respecting personal limits is essential to sustaining leadership. The ability to lead others depends on the ability to manage oneself and maintain internal balance.

6.Lightning Round

The session closed with a few personal reflections from Aline:

What keeps you grounded? My partner

What helps you be limitless? Every time someone tells me “You cannot”

What is one leadership quality from the Arab world that the rest of the world can learn from? Leading by example

Be Part of the Response

If you would like to contribute in a meaningful way: Donate at sofraleb.com.

Sofra connects restaurants, NGOs, and donors to deliver hot meals to displaced families across Lebanon, while keeping local kitchens active and livelihoods sustained.

Instead of building parallel systems, it activates existing kitchens and local businesses, ensuring support reaches people quickly and effectively. Each meal is tracked, with a focus not only on access, but on quality, dignity, and care.

Your support helps provide meals, sustain local restaurants, protect jobs, and strengthen the broader ecosystem.

In times of crisis, support sustains lives and protects what holds them together.

Support the Initiative

About Cosmic Centaurs

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

The Cosmic Conference is our annual, open platform for learning, reflection, and connection, bringing together leaders, thinkers, and practitioners to explore the questions that matter most to leadership today.

You can listen to this session as a podcast here.