Distributive Leadership

Background

Distributive leadership is an idea that became prominent through the teachings and lectures of Richard Elmore, a professor of educational leadership at Harvard. The traditional notion of leadership is the vision of one person at the head of a group, directing, teaching, and encouraging others. This notion of "heroic" leadership, however, is rapidly changing, and "post-heroic," also known as distributive leadership is taking hold.

Distributive leadership is the sharing of leadership between two or more individuals. This type of leadership has many names, such as shared, dispersed, relational, roving, collective, group-centered, broad-based, participatory, fluid, inclusive, and supportive leadership. In schools today, as the workload of administrators is constantly increasing, shared leadership is becoming widespread.

Benefits

Because school administrators cannot be everywhere at one time, they have begun to implement this type of leadership. Some schools distribute the leadership power between two administrators, while other schools involve teachers and parents, creating a group where there is no central leader in charge. As a result, numerous aspects of the schools or educational systems are attended to more fully and improvement is significant.

Distributing the leadership allows administrators to focus on a few areas and really make an impact. They do a better job in a few areas than if they were over numerous activities, administrative duties, and student and teacher responsibilities. In return, administrators tend to find their jobs more fulfilling and feel like they are actually making a difference. Shared leadership may also help reduce the high number of administrators who quit their job.

Examples

Some schools distribute leadership responsibilities between two principals. One is an instructional principal while the other is an administrative principal. As a result, they are more effective in their jobs, and the students and teachers of the school receive more attention.?

Businesses are also starting to use this idea of shared leadership. Often, leadership on a project is distributed across a broad base of employees. Each has distinct and different responsibilities that contribute to the overall success of the company.

As with most ideas, there are a few concerns about the concept of shared leadership, such as accountability and autonomy. However, despite these setbacks, as administrators learn the skills necessary to share leadership with their co-workers, their job will become more manageable. Ultimately, as educators are able to minimize their areas of focus and work effectively as leaders, student care and school reform will improve.

Related Links

Click a category to toggle display of related links.

What Is It?

A Framework for 21st Century Leadership

This article discusses the idea of leadership as shared, relational, and in the community. It poses the framework needed for each of these types of leadership and describes what the role of leaders is today. (From Journal of Extension)

Creative Solutions Ease Burdens on Principals

The current work-load principals are expected to handle is so large that the concept of shared leadership is being considered more and more. This article discusses the notion of shared leadership, as well as its implementation by several schools in the country. (From School Board News—NSBA)

Leadership in the 21st Century

There are several trends in the world today that have caused scholars to rethink the characteristics needed to be a good leader. This article discusses the implications of good leadership and the growing notion of "shared leadership." Furthermore, it looks at the principles of this type of leadership and its practices. (From The James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership)

Making Shared Leadership Work

This article focuses on the key principles of shared leadership. It looks in-depth at how principals can encourage shared leadership, develop the capacity for shared leadership in staff members, and share leadership with students, parents, and community members. This article also provides insights into the skills, resources, and strategies necessary to foster shared leadership. (From Southwestern Educational Development Laboratory)

Supportive and Shared Leadership

This article gives a brief overview of what is shared leadership and explains why this notion is a beneficial concept for administrators to consider. (From SEDL)
Tools & Resources

Leadership in Changing Times

This website explains the concept of shared leadership and has three web-pages of resources administrators may refer to if they would like to learn more. (From Functions of Leadership)

Post-Heroic Leadership: Managing the Virtual Organization

Heroic leadership is the notion where one leader is omnipotent in power. Post-heroic leadership is the idea of sharing power among individuals to encourage their participation and ease the burden. For those who would like to learn more, this book discusses the skills and aspects of post-heroic leadership.

Shared Leadership Search

"Leadership: Rethinking It—Making It Happen" and "Shared Leadership—The Damn Thing Works" are two articles available in the ERIC journal that discuss the concept of shared leadership. These articles may be ordered online through ERIC. (From ERIC Database)

The Deep Blue Sea: Rethinking the Source of Leadership

This book rearticulates the idea of leadership from an individual basis to one where group members share responsibility, resulting in more effective leadership. The story of a fictional piano company, this book illustrates why this new notion of leadership is needed in order to face the challenges of the postindustrial information age. (From The Center for Creative Leadership)
Model Programs

Distributed Leadership for Instructional Improvement: The Principal's Role

This brief article presents case studies of the practice of distributed leadership in two elementary schools. Five key themes that capture the essence of how principals promote and distribute leadership for learning are discussed. (From Michael Copeland, University of Washington. The LSS Review. Volume 2, Number 4, August 2003, p. 22-23.)

Leadership and Collaboration

In this article, three people functioned collaboratively as leaders in Savannah. This short synopsis describes the interactive leadership styles of one very successful businessman, a city manager, and a professor of sociology born and raised in the ghetto of Savannah. (From NCREL)

Nine Lessons of Successful School Leadership Teams

The California School Leadership Academy (CSLA) has worked with thousands of school leaders, helping them engage in a continuous process of school improvement. One thing that's increasingly clear is that the school principal, while a key leader, can't do it alone. The emergence of shared and distributed instructional leadership in today's schools has emphasized the importance of establishing and maintaining effective school leadership teams. This publication draws from a decade of innovation and research pointing to what school leadership teams can do to focus on and increase student achievement. Brief case studies demonstrate the lessons in action, and CSLA tools and documents that have contributed to school leadership teams' successes are included as appendices. Nine Lessons can be ordered online through WestEd's Web site. Per copy price is $19.95. (From Bill McKeever. WestEd, 2003.)

Vermont Principals’ Association

A model being discussed nationwide is the two-leader school or distributive leadership approach to school leadership. This model includes an instructional principal and an administrative principal for the school. Each has very different and distinct responsibilities and contributes to the overall success of the school.
Selected Research & Articles

Building a New Structure for School Leadership

In a major research analysis, Richard F. Elmore explores the problems with the structure and leadership of public education, while explaining the dangers of public funding for private schools. He urges educators to study the schools whose leaders and best practices are succeeding in meeting high standards. The report features successful efforts in districts where exemplary superintendents and principals are making it possible for teachers to offer excellent instruction. (From Elmore, R. (2000). Building a new structure for school leadership. Washington, DC: The Albert Shanker Institute.)

Collaborative Leadership: Balancing the School-Community

What can principals and other leaders do to foster successful collaboration between their schools and communities? This article provides a list of actions research and practice administrators may follow to become collaborative leaders. (From NCREL)

Leadership for School Improvement

The notion of one person in charge, a "hero-leader," is no longer ideal. Principals need to learn how to facilitate sharing power. They can share their leadership responsibilities by encouraging three different types of leaders to work together—local leaders, network leaders, and executive leaders. (From McREL)

Shared Leadership for Continuous Learning

This article talks about principals sharing the responsibilities they face with teachers, parents, and students. A list of questions to consider when implementing this type of leadership is provided. (From AEL )

Shared Leadership—The Maintaining of Task and Relationship Functions

There are three elements to effective shared leadership—tasks, relationships, and individual needs and wants. This article elaborates on each element and offers suggestions of how to ensure these elements work in harmony with one another to produce the most optimal environment for shared leadership. (From Organization Development)

The Urban Principal: Lone Ranger No More

School administrators tend to isolate themselves more and more as they move up the leadership ranks. However, this does not have to be the case. This article discusses how administrators can share their leadership burdens with others to improve their jobs as well as the schools. (From The Principalship in Crisis, March 2001)

Warriors to Advance Equity: An Argument for Distributing Leadership

Spotlight on Student Success is an occasional series of articles highlighting findings from the Laboratory for Student Success. This Spotlight discusses the role of distributive leadership in providing "fertile ground for sustaining long-term commitments to the desired goals of equity." According the the author, "the important work of achieving equitable outcomes for all learners cannot be mandated nor can it be accomplished without the support and expertise of school staff at all levels." (From Larry Leverett, LSS Spotlight on Student Success, No. 709)