Distributed Leadership

Foundations of Leadership - UOIT

Created by: Angela DeMeester

What is Distributed Leadership?

Multiple individuals and groups share the leadership
responsibilities. This is in contrast to many other leadership
theories that have traditionally attributed leadership to a
single individual.

Key Tenets:

multiple sources of leadership can exist at the same time

proponents claim that distributed leadership is necessary because no one

person has the energy or skill to handle all leadership functions (Hoy and
Miskel, 2008, p. 438).

all members of a group/organization can lead

views leadership as a horizontal phenomenon rather than a top-down or

bottom-up approach

Hoy & Miskel, 2008

Major Contributors:
James Spillane (click here for bio)
Spillane argues that leadership happens in multiple ways, involving formal and
informal leaders. According to Spillane, depending on the particular leadership
task, school leaders knowledge and expertise may be best explored at the
group or collective level rather than at the individual leaders level (Spillane,
Halverson, & Diamond, 2001, p.25)
Leadership is the product of the interactions of leaders, followers, situation and
resources

Major Contributors (cont.)

James Spillane
Proposed that distributed leadership involves two aspects:
The leader-plus aspect leadership involves multiple individuals, positional
leaders, and others without such positions.
The practice aspect - leadership practice is a product and takes shape in the
interactions of leaders, followers, and their situations.

Retrieved from: http://www.distributedleadership.org/DLS/Home.html

Key Papers:
Spillane, J. P., Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2001). Investigating
school leadership practice: A distributed perspective. Educational
researcher 23-28.

the paper discusses the Distributed Leadership Study

conducted at Northwestern University in Chicago

examined how leadership is distributed across several

urban elementary schools

paper argues that since leadership is shared between

several people, it is best understood by examining at the
school level rather than the individual level

Spillane, J. P., Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2004). Towards a

theory of leadership practice: A distributed perspective. Journal of
curriculum studies, 36(1), 3-34.

understanding leadership requires more than

understanding what someone knows and does, rather it
involves how it is done and the interactions involved
frames distributed leadership theory in relation to earlier
theories (trait based, behaviour, contingency theory)

Relevance/Examples of Distributed Leadership:

School Effectiveness Framework

act as a catalyst for shared instructional leadership through collaborative

conversations focused on high levels of student learning and achievement
(SEF, 2013, p.3)
Professional Learning Communities
Co-teaching

Criticisms:

Leithwood, Aitken, and Jantzi (2006) argue that distributed leadership is

more of a philosophy that does not have a lot of empirical evidence to
support it (as cited in Hoy & Miskel, 2008)

Is it possible to have true distributed leadership in organizations that are

arranged in hierarchies?

Duignan (2006) argues that distributed leadership requires trust and

leaders must have the mindset that they are leading leaders, not leading
followers

References:
Duignan, P. (2006) Ethical Leadership: Key Challenges and Tensions. Melbourne,
Cambridge University Press
Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2008). Educational administration: Theory, research, and practice (8th e
ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ministry of Education, Ontario. (2013). School Effectiveness Framework. Retrieved from:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/SEF2013.pdf

Spillane, J. P., Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2001). Investigating school leadership practice: A distributed perspective.
Educational researcher, 23-28.
Spillane, J. P., Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2004). Towards a theory of leadership practice: A distributed perspective.
Journal of curriculum studies, 36(1), 3-34.