How Mandela Day Highlights the Role of Empathy in Modern Leadership
Every year on July 18th, South Africans and people around the world are reminded of the powerful legacy of Nelson Mandela ,a legacy built on service, compassion, and leadership.
But a common question still lingers on search engines, that makes us wonder if we have lost the true spirit of the day and that most searched for question is…
Is Mandela Day a public holiday in South Africa?
The answer is: No, Mandela Day is not a public holiday. Businesses and schools operate as usual. It is, however, a day of service and reflection, inviting citizens and companies alike to contribute 67 minutes to making the world a better place, one small act at a time.
But beyond volunteerism, Mandela Day raises a deeper leadership question:
Are we simply looking for another public holiday, or are we actively engaging in the development of human skills that build lasting impact in our workplaces?
In this article, we explore how Mandela Day initiatives can be used to build empathy, strengthen leadership, and elevate the emotional intelligence of your team. Because empathy is not just a soft skill. It’s a vital human skill that shapes workplace culture, employee retention, and business success.
1. Use Mandela Day to Develop Empathy in Action
Empathy is about stepping into someone else’s shoes. Mandela Day, with its call to serve others, creates an excellent opportunity for employees to understand life outside their daily routines.
Reflective skill: Ask team members to journal their thoughts after a Mandela Day activity.
What surprised them? What challenged them? What inspired them?
This reflective habit fosters self-awareness and emotional growth, two cornerstones of effective leadership and people management.
2. Turn Mandela Day Into a Leadership Development Moment
Many leaders miss the opportunity to connect what their teams do on Mandela Day with who they are as a company. Leading by example, whether volunteering at a shelter, mentoring youth, or cleaning up a community space, shows your team what values truly matter.
Tip: Managers should also participate in initiatives, not just assign them.
This builds trust and models empathetic leadership in action.
Mandela Day initiatives become moments where leadership is demonstrated, not just discussed.
3. Empathy Training Shouldn’t Be a Once-Off
While Mandela Day brings empathy to the forefront, one day is not enough. Use the momentum of Mandela Day to launch or reinforce empathy training in your organisation.
Practical ideas:
- Host a workshop on active listening or non-judgmental communication.
- Run simulations where employees role-play difficult conversations with empathy.
- Start each week with a “perspective-sharing” check-in.
These small, consistent efforts compound into a more emotionally intelligent and resilient workforce.
4. Break the Addiction to Public Holidays by Creating Meaning
Some employees may secretly wish Mandela Day was a public holiday. A day off work. But if that’s the case, it might signal a disengaged culture or burnout.
Mandela Day gives us a chance to shift this mindset by infusing work with meaning and purpose.
Leadership question: Are you giving your team a reason to care, not just a reason to comply?
By tying company values to human-centred initiatives, you make work itself more rewarding.
5. Recognise the Power of Human Skills in Business Success
Technical expertise is important, but it’s human skills like empathy, collaboration, and resilience that create agile, high-performing teams.
According to the World Economic Forum, empathy is one of the top 10 skills needed in the future of work.
Use Mandela Day to highlight the business case for human skills. When people feel heard and valued, productivity improves, conflict decreases, and innovation rises.
6. Create Company Traditions that Reinforce Compassion
Don’t let Mandela Day be a one-time event. Create annual rituals that make service part of your leadership DNA.
Examples include:
- A company-wide “Empathy Week”
- Monthly “Leadership with Purpose” circles
- Peer recognition programs for acts of kindness
These traditions embed empathy into your culture, not just your calendar.
7. Encourage Storytelling and Reflection After Mandela Day
One of the best ways to turn action into transformation is through storytelling. After Mandela Day, ask team members to share their experiences.
- Who did they meet?
- What moved them?
- What will they carry forward?
Sharing builds connection. It allows teams to see each other’s values and humanity, which deepens empathy and psychological safety at work.
8. Model Mandela’s Leadership Legacy Every Day
Mandela once said, “As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
Use Mandela Day not just as a one-off CSR opportunity, but as a launchpad for more mindful leadership practices throughout the year.
Ask yourself:
- Am I creating space for diverse voices?
- Do I act with fairness and dignity in tough decisions?
- Do I listen to understand, not just to respond?
True leadership is not about title. It’s about how we show up.
Final Thoughts: Are You Just Telling People What to Do on Mandela Day or Inspiring Them to Be?
Mandela Day offers us a mirror. Are we leading from a place of genuine service, or are we assigning tasks just to tick a box?
Leadership today is not just about strategy. It’s about humanity.
By nurturing empathy as a core human skill, and tying it to meaningful days like Mandela Day, we build teams that care more, perform better, and stay longer.
Let this July 18 be more than a calendar event. Let it be a culture shift.
