Distributed Leadership

Existing Theory and Practice

Leadership theory and practice has traditionally concentrated upon the traits, behaviours and actions of the sole or single leader.  Much of the literature on leadership suggests that leaders are either born or, through their careful selection and subsequent development, made.  Leaders are seen as strong and insular, self sufficient but often inaccessible, (and consequently, often lonely). The dependency of followers often becomes a conditioned response. Followers wait to be told what to do. With this approach considerable effort goes into finding the 'right' leader as the solution to the problems of the organisation.

A more subtle and less linear form of leadership has recently emerged to embrace the complex operations, functions and duties of modern work organisations. Within such organisations the leadership function is shared or distributed amongst those with the ability and experience necessary to ensure the function is carried out to the benefit of the wider organisation.

Such a distributed view of leadership shifts the focus from the typical or traditional leader (a Chief Executive or a school or college Principal), to an intricate and complex web of leaders, followers and their situation that give rise to leadership practice.

Papers

  Download  Wilkinson, David, (February 2007), Distributed Leadership: Briefing Paper

So how does Distributed leadership differ?

The Heroic Leader Traditional notion of leadership - The heroic leader.  Concentrating on the individual, sole leader, hierarchically focused.

Distributed leadership A group or network. Interacting individuals. More output from distributed leaders than the sum of their parts.