Preparing for the Performance: Leading with Empathy
Written by Kerry Jones (Identity Ignite)
The PSASA KZN Chapter gathered on 4 November 2025 at our beautiful Mount Edgecombe venue – buzzing with the energy of connection. With our growing membership and valued visitors, cinema-style seating set the stage for an evening of learning and engagement.
Setting the Scene
Chapter President, Colleen Wilson, opened the meeting by inviting members to share the tangible benefits PSASA has brought into their professional lives. The momentum continued with deputy Raksha Mahabeer encouraging participation in an upcoming Zoom focused on creating more opportunities for members. Kavesan Pillay shared the Speaker Factor protocols, and Brenden Cavanagh rounded off the introductions with an exciting announcement: the Annual Convention 2026 ‘Through the Waves’ will be proudly hosted by PSASA KZN!
Inspiring the Room
Our dynamic MC, Vanessa Miller, infused her signature warmth and wit throughout the event, blending her top three motivational tips into the flow of the program. Her enthusiasm kept the audience engaged and inspired – perfectly setting the tone for the evening’s two thought-provoking talks.
Speaker 1: Malebo Mohale – Anchoring Your Focal Point: Leading with Empathy
Member speaker Malebo Mohale opened with some challenging thoughts and statistics around Leadership expertise, stressing the importance of both passion and empathy. Drawing from her experience, she demonstrated how integrating empathy with Lean leadership principles fosters stronger teams, deeper connections and sustainable growth.
Her talk reminded us that authentic leadership begins with emotional awareness – understanding that empathy is not a soft skill, but a strategic strength that drives meaningful impact. Malebo encouraged us to have the courage to be vulnerable and share our stories, as we lead.
Speaker 2: Joey Mongalo – Preparing for the Performance
Guest speaker Joey Mongalo followed with an insightful session on Preparing for the Performance. He cleverly weaves experience gained as the Sharks Defence Coach with his knowledge of organisational alignment – resulting in an interesting blend of tactical sports skills with business psychology.
He explored the mindset and preparation strategies that underpin consistent excellence, offering members practical tools to bring clarity, focus and confidence to business and speaking opportunities. Joey stressed the importance of beginning with the end in mind – of winning by design, with a start, a process and an end and how crucial the preparation is in maintaining alignment with the vision. Joey encouraged us to lead 80% with our authenticity – to back our ideas and beliefs but to keep 20% availability to keep evolving.
He left us thinking of the 3 circles of influence, with the challenge that the preparation is always in our hands and to make sure that we don’t give ourselves an ‘out’ in terms of our responsibility.
A Powerful Duo: Empathy Meets Excellence
Together, Malebo and Joey offered two complementary perspectives – one rooted in the heart of human connection, the other in the discipline of peak performance. The combination left us inspired to integrate both empathy and structure in our personal and professional growth.
Looking Ahead
Join us for our final PSASA KZN Chapter meeting of the year on 2 December 2025. It promises to be another great opportunity to network, learn, and grow as a professional speaker or speaking professional.
Stay connected via the PSASA website and our social platforms for updates, event details, and member spotlights.
