Anti-Fragility as a New Baseline: Synthosys at ATD Saudi Arabia

At the ATD Saudi Arabia Conference in Riyadh, Synthosys co-founder Dr Tarek Jomaa delivered a keynote that quickly became one of the standout moments of the three-day event.

Speaking to a room full of leaders eager to stay ahead of unprecedented change, Tarek introduced the anti-fragile approach and showed why traditional upskilling and “tick-box development” can no longer solve the challenges organisations face in a volatile era.

He demonstrated how the 4C Diagnostic reveals misalignments in culture and team dynamics — the hidden forces that silently erode innovation, collaboration, and performance. Rather than investing in more courses, more tools, and more “productivity fixes”, Tarek argued that organisations must first understand where fragility lives inside their system. To bring this to life, he presented a real case study where a company struggled to innovate despite pouring money into innovation training. The issue was not a lack of skills — it was a lack of alignment. Cultural perceptions were fragmented, team dynamics weren’t synchronised, and innovation was collapsing under unseen tension.

Once the hidden dynamics were exposed, everything changed. The reaction in Riyadh was electric. Leaders resonated deeply with the message — especially in a region determined not to wait for the future, but to build it. The session sparked new partnerships, consulting conversations, and invitations to collaborate across the Gulf.

Takeaway: Upskilling won’t save a fragile system. To thrive under pressure, organisations must expose misalignments, strengthen culture, and build the anti-fragility needed to grow in a world that is moving faster than ever.