The complexity of distributed forms of leadership in practice

Abstract

Distributed leadership is a free-floating concept that is often oversimplified as a mode of leadership and development suitable for twenty-first century organisations, particularly in education. This paper provides an alternative view. It draws on observations of leadership practice to provide a re-conceptualisation to distributed forms of leadership. These forms reveal the complexity of how positional authority and symbolic power co-exist in hybrid configurations to reflect day-to-day practice and provide a deeper sociological frame that can be applied to leadership development.