30 - From City Hall to being in the Hotseat: What Leadership Really Looks Like with Sherri Rollins!

From City Hall to being in the Hotseat: What Leadership Really Looks Like with Sherri Rollins! What does it actually take to lead a city?  In this episode of **The Exec Hotseat Podcast**, **Amanda Buhse** sits down with **Winnipeg City Councillor Sherri Rollins**, who represents Fort Rouge–East Fort Garry, for a candid conversation about leadership, politics, public service, influence, and the realities of making decisions that impact an entire city. Sherri brings a refreshingly honest perspective to what happens behind the scenes at City Hall — from potholes and public safety to housing, infrastructure, permitting, taxation, major capital projects, and the complicated realities of municipal government. She also opens up about the personal side of leadership: the sacrifices, the scrutiny, the pressure, the importance of knowing when to ask for help, and what public service can cost you personally. And, true to Sherri's personality, there are plenty of laughs along the way — including gardening, hockey-mom life, painting portraits of her husband, luxury candles, her love of policy, and her dog, **Truth Bader Ginsburg**. 😂 ### **In this episode, Sherri and Amanda talk about:** - What Sherri's life looks like beyond being a city councillor - How her background in conflict resolution and work with national inquiries shaped her leadership - What surprised her most when she first stepped into municipal politics - What a *real* week looks like for a city councillor - The reality of responding to emergencies, resident concerns, infrastructure issues and major city projects - How she handles criticism and making decisions that not everyone agrees with - What people misunderstand about how City Hall actually works - Why municipal issues are often much more complicated than they appear - Housing, homelessness, public safety and permitting - The challenges surrounding major infrastructure and capital projects - What strong leadership looks like in an increasingly divided environment - Why leaders need to think beyond the next election cycle - Whether women lead differently in politics - The importance of collaboration, coalition-building and bringing community voices to the table - The personal sacrifices that come with public leadership - Safety, scrutiny and the difficulty of truly "turning off" when you're in public office - Why Sherri believes aspiring leaders need to know **what they want to DO with the job** - Her advice for women who may feel intimidated, underqualified or hesitant to step into leadership   ### **One of our favourite takeaways:**   **"It shouldn't be what you want to be. It should be what you want to do."** For Sherri, leadership isn't about having the title. It's about having a clear sense of purpose, understanding the community you're serving, and knowing what you want to accomplish with the opportunity you've been given. This is a candid, funny and surprisingly personal conversation about what leadership really looks like when the cameras aren't on. * * * ### **Connect with Sherri Rollins** 📞 **City Hall:** 204-986-5878 📧 **Email:** [srollins@winnipeg.ca](mailto:srollins@winnipeg.ca) 🌐 https://www.sherrirollins.net/ **Instagram:** https://www.instagram.com/sherri\rollins\/ **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherri-lynn-rollins-462bb312/   ### **Connect with The Exec Hotseat Hosts** Founder + Host: (Away for this episode) 👉 Lisa Thompson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabrd/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisathompsonbrd/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandrevivaldesign/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brdagency.ca/ 🌐 https://brdagency.ca/ * * * Co-Host: 👉 Amanda Buhse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-buhse/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abuhse/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coalandcanary/ 🌐 https://www.coalandcanary.com/