Leading with an Open Heart: Lessons from the TEDx Stage with Marilyn Zakhour
- Cosmic Centaurs
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
What can the world learn from leadership in the Arab world?
In this conversation, Cosmic Centaurs Founder & CEO Marilyn Zakhour reflects on her journey to the TEDx stage and explores why leaders from our region have a responsibility to share their ideas, stories, and experiences more publicly. Drawing on research, personal experiences, and the Leading from the Arab World initiative, Marilyn discusses what it means to lead with an open heart, why visibility matters, and how leaders can build a meaningful public presence without compromising authenticity.
What you'll learn:
Why many leaders hesitate to share their perspectives publicly and how to overcome it
The behind-the-scenes process of preparing a TEDx talk The difference between personal branding and legacy building Why Arab leadership perspectives deserve greater global visibility
The qualities of open-hearted leadership: Practical advice for leaders who want to strengthen their voice and influence
About the speakers
Marilyn Zakhour is the Founder and CEO of Cosmic Centaurs, an organizational development and leadership advisory firm working across the GCC and beyond. With over 15 years of experience, she has supported senior leaders in strategy execution, organizational transformation, and leadership development. Marilyn is an INSEAD Global Executive MBA graduate, an HBR-published author, podcast host, and TEDx speaker.
Tala Odeh leads Capability Development at Cosmic Centaurs. She specializes in leadership development, strategic communications, and organizational effectiveness, designing learning experiences that help leaders communicate, influence, and drive meaningful change.
About Cosmic Centaurs
Cosmic Centaurs is an organizational and leadership development firm helping leaders make better decisions about work and the workplace. We partner with organizations across the region to design strategies, build capabilities, strengthen cultures, and create sustainable change.
📖 Take our Survey Leading from the Arab World here.
You can listen to this session as a podcast here.
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