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- Vol 6 PE: App E
- Vol 6 RE: Chapter 5
distributed leadershipconcertive actiondistributed cognitioncollective agencydivision of labourinformal expertiseJournal article Evidence summaryAt a glance
Gronn proposes distributed leadership as an alternative unit of analysis to explanations centred on a single formal leader. An additive view counts leadership contributions made by multiple individuals, but a holistic view examines concertive action whose combined effect is more than independently aggregated behaviour.
Key ideas
Concertive patterns can arise through spontaneous collaboration, intuitive working relationships developed over time, or institutionalised practices and structures. Interdependence and coordination are therefore central: distributing tasks or appointing committees does not necessarily distribute leadership. The article connects distributed cognition, activity theory, and division of labour to leadership research and argues that analysts should study how influence is stretched across people, tools, routines, and situations. This perspective can reveal informal expertise and collective agency, but it does not imply that hierarchy, power, accountability, or individual responsibility disappear.
Why it matters
For schools and organisations, the framework supports examining actual patterns of joint work and influence rather than assuming either that the designated leader acts alone or that participation is automatically equal and democratic.
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- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
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