As the world marked International HR Day on 20 May, Noreen MacPherson, a master HR practitioner and learning and development specialist at Maccauvlei Learning Academy, calls for a return to human-first leadership grounded in the African philosophy of Ubuntu, an African word meaning humanity to others.
With technical expertise often trumping human leadership skills, Noreen states that “Just because someone can operate a machine or run a production line doesn’t mean they know how to lead a team. That’s where HR and training must step in.”
“Leading with Ubuntu means recognising the value of empathy, listening, trust and emotional intelligence in management. These are not soft skills, they are essential skills.”
This message couldn’t be timelier because, according to a 2023 World Economic Forum report, emotional intelligence, leadership and social influence ranked among the top 10 skills for the future of work.
“Many South African HR professionals still spend most of their time behind screens managing systems rather than engaging people, often sidelining the very human side of human resources,” she explains.
“This disconnect is not unique to South Africa, but the consequences are acutely felt in our high-stakes, production-orientated sectors. When someone in a mining or manufacturing environment gets promoted into a line manager role, they are expected to lead people without ever having been taught how. HR has a critical role to play here, not just in policy or payroll, but in enabling managers to build relationships and lead with confidence.”
Empowering employees
According to her, failing to equip leaders with Ubuntu-based skills like empathy, emotional intelligence and people-centred decision-making poses a real danger to South African workplaces.
“This leads to a lack of effective, inclusive communication and poor people leadership practices. These are the two things that come up in almost every leadership conversation that I have in the classroom. Employees feel that they are not empowered to speak up or speak out, and the work environment is not a safe place in which to speak up. In addition, employees do not always have a clear understanding of the line of sight from the top down, as goals and expectations are not often clearly defined.”
Other factors include work-life balance, lack of training and development, as well as organisational culture that doesn’t value employee engagement, recognition or psychological safety.
As someone who facilitates HR courses, Noreen explains that at Maccauvlei, they focus on two critical streams, which are leading self and leading others. “You cannot manage a team effectively if you don’t understand your own triggers, biases and emotional responses. That’s the foundation of people leadership.”
“In a society that still sometimes sees HR as the warm and fuzzy department, we’re here to show that people leadership is actually a high-impact, strategic function. Without it, even the best-laid business plans will fail, because it’s people who drive performance, not machines.”
She notes the biggest gap between traditional HR and Ubuntu-driven leadership is that many organisations still view HR as glorified data processors and that they are policy and procedure makers and enforcers.
Listening actively and giving praise
“Ubuntu-driven leadership focuses more on transformational leadership in which HR should play a more personal and supportive role with the emphasis on empathy and a genuine desire to empower employees to improve workplace relationships.”
“HR leaders should encourage open communication through anonymous feedback channels, regular check-ins and transparent HR support, which helps employees feel heard without fear of judgement. HR leaders can play a crucial role by actively listening and addressing issues with empathy, fostering a culture where speaking up is valued. When employees are assured that their concerns will be taken seriously, workplace morale, productivity and retention improve.”
Offering three practical actions, she highlights how leading with Ubuntu should look in day-to-day HR practices.
“Treat all employees with respect through open and honest communication practices, practice people leadership by listening actively, giving praise where it’s due, providing encouragement and empowering others through collaboration and engagement, and show a genuine interest when employees voice their concerns.”
Furthermore, she says she has seen firsthand the Ubuntu model transform struggling workplaces into thriving ones. In her final message, she circles back to the heart of Ubuntu, which involves interconnectedness, humanity and mutual respect.
“In the spirit of Ubuntu, HR needs to focus on encouraging open communication and creating an inclusive environment in which employees feel able to speak up and speak out, promoting work-life balance by establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time, providing support mechanisms such as wellness initiatives and programmes, and putting systems in place to recognise and reward employee contributions.”
“Management is no longer just about KPIs and production schedules, it’s about relationships, culture, and connection. South African businesses have a powerful cultural foundation in Ubuntu. Now, it’s time to turn that into a competitive advantage.”
