Corrine Rahman and Women’s Civic Leadership in Uncertain Times

Being a leader during times of political and social turbulence requires more than authority or technical expertise. It demands ethical judgment, adaptability, and the ability to navigate institutional power structures that are often resistant to change. For women in civic leadership, these demands are intensified by gendered expectations and structural inequalities embedded within political institutions. Drawing on my interview with London City Councillor Corrine Rahman, this profile analyzes her leadership through the lenses of ethical, adaptive, and intersectional leadership. It argues that Rahman’s approach demonstrates how effective civic leadership in uncertain times is rooted in public accountability, relational governance, and a commitment to serving the public good rather than pursuing personal power.

Turbulent Times and Civic Leadership

Periods of political turbulence are often marked by declining public trust, heightened political scrutiny, and competing pressures from institutions, the public, and the media. Leaders today operate in environments shaped by polarization and uncertainty, while still being expected to maintain confidence in democratic institutions. Unlike routine governance, leadership in turbulent times requires ongoing adaptation, ethical judgment, and the ability to respond to complex situations that do not have clear or immediate solutions.

For women leaders, this turbulence is further intensified by structural inequality. As Rahman explains, even when women hold leadership positions, political environments remain deeply gendered. She notes that “although we have women in leadership roles, I still feel like it’s very male dominated and almost in a sense it’s even further perpetuated the patriarchy.” She also observes that political spaces continue to be overwhelmingly male, stating that “often when you show up to an announcement from the province, it’s very heavily male dominated.”

Rahman, as a woman of colour and the first person of South Asian origin to serve on Council and before that the Thames Valley District School Board, connects these experiences to intersectionality, explaining that many of the men in leadership roles she encounters “tend to be white males” and are often at a different stage in life, which shapes both access to power and expectations of leadership. These realities demonstrate that leadership during turbulent times is not only about managing crises, but also about navigating unequal power structures that shape whose voices are valued and whose presence is normalized.

Gendered Leadership and Emotional Labour

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the interview is the gendered emotional labour associated with women’s leadership, particularly for women who are also mothers. Rahman reflects on the unequal emotional and organizational responsibilities women continue to carry in both private and public life. She explains that “the emotional labor that goes into being a partner and being a mother is a lot higher, often, for women,” and acknowledges that “the emotional load and the workload that I carry in the household is always going to be higher.”

This emotional labour extends beyond the household and into political life. Rahman notes that women are often judged by how they express emotion in public roles, explaining that women leaders are scrutinized for “how we contain our emotions, or how we wear our emotions, how we’re portrayed in the media.” This creates an additional layer of labour, as women must manage not only policy and leadership decisions, but also their public presentation and emotional expression in highly visible roles.

Ethical Leadership and Public Trust

Rahman’s experience as Chief of Staff to Mayor Matt Brown further illustrates the ethical pressures faced by women in civic leadership. She describes ethics as something that must be practiced daily, stating that “every day you have to come to work with your integrity and know what you stand for.” In this role, she often had access to sensitive information and was required to present it neutrally, even when she personally disagreed. As she explains, “it wasn’t my decision to make… it was about providing the information on balance, so that the mayor could make their decision.”

Rahman also emphasizes that trust lies at the heart of political leadership. She explains that politics relies on “being in a high-trust relationship with your boss,” while acknowledging that trust is not always reciprocated. Navigating these ethical tensions requires emotional restraint, professionalism, and a strong commitment to public accountability.

Her discussion of the council pay raise vote further reflects this ethical orientation. Rahman explains that she could not support the proposed increase because of the message it would send to the broader community, particularly at a time when many residents are struggling financially. However, she readily acknowledges her own privilege in that she and her partner both work, and she has been able to balance working another job at the same time as serving the community. “For me, the role is about service to the community.” Her concerns about benchmarking, fairness, and the city’s overall ability to pay illustrate an understanding of leadership as stewardship rather than personal gain.

Adaptive Leadership and Community Engagement

Despite these challenges, Rahman’s leadership demonstrates many qualities associated with adaptive leadership. Adaptive leadership emphasizes responding to complex problems that lack clear or technical solutions by prioritizing dialogue, learning, and long-term problem-solving (Washington et al., 2024; DeRue, 2011). Throughout the interview, Rahman emphasized the importance of listening, collaborating, and considering multiple perspectives before making decisions. When discussing conflicts within her ward, she explained that she tries to enter discussions without having already made up her mind so that she can “listen to both sides” and arrive at a more informed decision.

Rahman views this approach as essential for maintaining trust and legitimacy, noting that “people know when you’ve already made up your mind.” By prioritizing openness and dialogue, she demonstrates an adaptive leadership style that values process, responsiveness, and learning over quick or performative decision-making.

Rahman’s work in public-facing civic roles places her at the intersection of governance, community accountability, and institutional rules. Rather than occupying a purely symbolic leadership position, she operates within systems that demand compromise, deliberation, and sustained engagement with diverse stakeholders. Her emphasis on responsibility over recognition aligns with leadership models that prioritize trust-building and collective responsibility over command-and-control governance (DeFrank-Cole & Tan, 2023). In contexts where public confidence is fragile, this approach becomes especially significant.

Rahman also acknowledges the constraints under which municipal leaders operate, including bureaucratic processes and shifting political frameworks that limit individual autonomy. Importantly, she does not interpret these constraints as failures of leadership, but as conditions requiring strategic navigation. This reflects an understanding of leadership as embedded within institutions rather than exercised independently of them.

Conclusion: Sustainable Civic Leadership

Corrine Rahman’s leadership offers a compelling example of how women in civic roles navigate political turbulence, ethical pressures, and structural inequality. Her experiences demonstrate that leadership in uncertain times requires not only technical knowledge, but also emotional labour, ethical integrity, adaptability, and a willingness to work collaboratively through complex problems. By leading with accountability, listening, and a commitment to the public good, Rahman exemplifies a model of civic leadership grounded in service rather than the pursuit of power.

At the same time, her experiences demonstrate that leadership is never exercised from a position of neutrality. As a woman working within political institutions that remain shaped by gendered and racialized power relations, Rahman must continually navigate expectations and constraints that do not affect all leaders equally. An intersectional perspective therefore reminds us that leadership is experienced differently depending on how gender, race, and other social identities intersect with institutional power. Rahman’s story illustrates that effective civic leadership depends not only on the qualities of individual leaders but also on recognizing and challenging the structural inequalities that continue to shape who leads, how they lead, and how their leadership is received.