8 LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE MAY/JUNE 2010 Reprinted with permission from Exchange magazine. Visit us at www.ChildCareExchange.com or call (800) 221-2864. Multiple use copy agreement available for educators by request. Distributed leadership: Something new or something borrowed?

by Teri Talan

Distributed leadership is a hot topic I have been immersed in the practice, uted approach to leadership widens the in the educational leadership world. research, and teaching of early childhood lens to focus attention equally on lead- Much has been written about taking leadership for more than 20 years. I have ers, followers, and specific situations. a distributed approach to leader- been a director of an NAEYC-accredited This broader perspective allows us to see ship in K-12 schools, but does this early childhood center. I now teach and the interdependencies between all three, approach add value to our under- support directors across the country which is the practice of leadership. standing of effective leadership in through my work at the McCormick early childhood programs? If so, are Center for Early Childhood Leadership, When leadership is understood as there lessons to be learned from the at National-Louis University. Over the distributed, it is leadership practice that extensive research on distributed past six years I have conducted training is stretched over leaders (the ‘leader leadership that can help program on the Program Administration Scale, a plus’ is an important element), follow- administrators improve their leader- research-based tool for measuring and ers, and a particular situation (Spillane ship practice in early childhood set- improving early childhood leadership & Diamond, 2007). If this seems too tings, both in centers and in schools? and management practices in 25 states, abstract or theoretical, think about The short answer is yes and yes. as well as in Canada and Singapore. leadership practice as a dance — let’s say One thing I know for certain — the need a waltz or a tango. While the skill of the for effective early childhood leadership individual dancer is undeniably impor- Teri N. Talan is Assistant Professor of has never been greater than in this time tant, the quality of the dance is defined Early Childhood Education at National- of global economic crisis, demand for by the relationship between the danc- Louis University and the Director of standards-based practice, and increased ers. We have all seen examples of poor Research and Public Policy for the accountability for program outcomes. quality dancing (if not, just turn on the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. Previously, Dr. Talan was the director of popular television show “Dancing with an NAEYC-accredited early childhood program. She What is new and exciting about distrib- the Stars”) where one partner is truly currently serves on the NAEYC Council for Accredita- uted leadership is that it puts leadership outstanding, but the other lacks talent tion, the Executive Committee of Illinois Early Learning practice front and center. Most of what and grace. Or perhaps you have watched Council, and the Steering Committee of the Illinois a dance where each partner demon- Professional Development Advisory Council. She has has been written on the topic of leader- an M. Ed. in Early Childhood Education and an Ed. D ship is actually focused on leaders — strates remarkable moves, but they seem in Adult and Continuing Education from National-Louis their traits and characteristics. The vast to compete with each other rather than University, as well as a law degree from Northwestern majority of leadership literature quickly work as a team. University. Dr. Talan is co-author of the Program Admin- moves from the study of leadership to istration Scale: Measuring Early Childhood Leadership an examination of leaders; leadership is Dance, like leadership practice, is about and Management, the Business Administration Scale the interdependency between the parts. for Family Child Care, and the report, Who’s Caring for understood as leaders who are bold and the Kids? The Status of the Early Childhood Workforce dominant, charismatic and influential, or With dance it is the relationship between in Illinois. visionary and transformational. A distrib- the dancers, the music, and the audi- LEADERSHIP 9 MAY/JUNE 2010 EXCHANGE ence. With leadership practice it is the defined as the routines practiced and concentrate on the work that only they relationship between leaders, followers, the specific tools and structures used in can do. and the particular situation. Let’s look at a program to carry out leadership func- each of these aspects of leadership prac- tions (e.g., to create a unity of purpose What I have come to realize, however, is tice — leaders, followers, and situations or achieve identified program goals). that even when administrators do col- — in greater depth. In early childhood programs there are laborate with their staff about program- many routines practiced and structures matic decisions or delegate responsibil- Leaders or tools used. For example, there are ity for work, it is seldom the decisions classroom routines such as circle time, or the work related to leadership that In a distributed approach to leader- outdoor play, lunch, and napping activi- is being shared. Taking a distributed ship, there is always more than one ties; there are classroom tools and struc- approach to early childhood leadership leader. Leadership is distributed among tures such as attendance logs, calendar, begins with identifying the key leader- individuals who may or may not have and curriculum plans. Our interest, ship functions — helping the organiza- role authority. In many early childhood however, is only with those routines, tion clarify and affirm values, set goals, programs, administrative supports have tools, and structures that support leader- articulate a vision, chart a course of been greatly reduced or even elimi- ship functions. action to achieve that vision, and meet nated. Where once there may have been adaptive challenges — and then recog- an assistant director and an education What’s new about nizing how staff (leaders and followers) coordinator to assist in program admin- distributed leadership? engage in this leadership work depend- istration, in the current economy there ing on the situation. is likely to be only one administrator at You may be saying to yourself, “Big the helm to supervise, train, and support deal!” Shared decision-making (some In 2007, I completed a case study of staff; build partnerships with families may call it by a different name such as leadership in an early childhood learn- and the community; and oversee fiscal democratic leadership or participative ing organization (Talan, 2007). The fol- management and center operations. The management) is a familiar leadership lowing excerpt from this study provides obvious advantage of this ‘leader plus’ approach that has been around a long an excellent opportunity to look at early component of distributed leadership is time. However, distributed leadership is childhood leadership from the distrib- that a program administrator gets sup- not a ‘borrowed’ leadership concept, but uted leadership perspective. The excerpt port; no one leader has to do it all. is truly something new. paints a picture of leadership practice that is stretched over multiple leaders Followers For many years I have taught center whose roles shift between leader and directors about shared decision-making follower depending on the situation. In distributed leadership, followers are and the democratic leadership approach. a critical component. Sometimes the What I have found is that many pro- My study of leadership in the early program administrator is the leader, gram administrators have great diffi- childhood program at Erie Neighbor- and sometimes the follower. The same culty sharing their power and influence. hood House actually began off-site at holds true for teachers and other staff When this reluctance is further explored, the home of the Child Care Program members. Who leads and who follows a resistance to sharing power or delegat- Director, Sandy. I was there to observe depends entirely on the leadership ing authority emerges based on a fear the administrative leadership team activity being carried out. Leaders influ- about the quality of the work delegated. retreat, which occurred one week before ence followers and followers influence Sometimes directors will express con- my scheduled site visit. There were 15 leaders. Another way to say this is that cern about overloading teaching staff participants in the administrative lead- leadership is not something that is done who already shoulder responsibility for ership team retreat: four directors, six to followers, but rather, leadership is teaching and classroom management. I managers, and five assistant managers. done with followers interacting with the try to help these directors explore pos- I later learned from Sandy that the 15 situation. sible strategies to overcome their fears members of the administrative leader- and concerns. I stress that by sharing ship team met monthly and rotated both Situations their power, directors are more likely to the planning and facilitation of agenda improve staff morale, build collabora- items. By the time I had completed my The last component to consider is the tive teams, and retain effective teachers. fieldwork, I realized that the administra- particular situation. In a distributed I point out that by delegating when tive leadership team retreat had pro- leadership approach, the situation is appropriate, directors are freed up to vided a snapshot of an early childhood 10 LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE MAY/JUNE 2010

learning organization, foreshadowing that they are involved in decisions trators is to examine their leadership the findings of the full research study. that impact their work and lives. The practice and create routines that ex- retreat provided a glimpse at the pand the opportunities to share their “Upon entering, I am handed an synergistic effect of the whole being power and influence with staff on the agenda and learn that the retreat has a greater than the sum of its parts. A work of leadership. name: Sowing the Seeds of Change. By difficult decision was made at the mid-morning I am aware of another retreat regarding the need to termi- References surprise; there does not appear to nate children’s enrollment if families be anyone in charge of leading the lose their eligibility for the program. Bloom, P. J. (2000). Circle of influence: overall retreat. Different names are The decision made with all 15 mem- Implementing shared decision making and listed next to each agenda item; they bers of the administrative leadership participative management. Lake Forest, provide the introduction to the agenda team participating was likely to be IL: New Horizons. topic, facilitate small- and large-group better than if it had been made with discussions, and then debrief or fewer members. When staff members Spillane, J. P., & Diamond, J. B. (Eds. summarize any decisions made. Each participate meaningfully in making a 2007). Distributed leadership in practice. agenda item concludes as scheduled decision, they more fully understand New York: Teachers College Press. and the leader/facilitator of the next the decision, they are more likely to Talan, T. N. (2007). Roots and wings: agenda item just speaks up — without work for successful implementation of Portrait of leadership in an early child- being directed to do so. I can’t recall a the decision, and they are less likely to hood learning organization. Unpub- meeting where shared leadership is so sabotage it. At Erie Neighbor House, lished doctoral dissertation, National- effortless, and so evident. the administrative leadership team is Louis University, Wheeling, IL. responsible for making many of the center-wide decisions and they make “Throughout the day, there is a bal- Resources ance struck between solving problems these decisions collaboratively. (those experienced by families living Drath, W. (2001). The deep blue sea: The administrative leadership team in fear of the changes in immigration Rethinking the source of leadership. San retreat provides a clear example of enforcement and those experienced Francisco: Jossey-Bass. by staff responding to changes in the distributed leadership in action. Over state’s system of determining par- the course of seven hours, leadership Spillane, J. P. (Winter 2005). Distrib- ents’ income eligibility) and reflecting is demonstrated by multiple staff uted leadership. Educational Forum, on personal as well as professional members (who sometimes lead and 69(2), 143-150. Retrieved from http:// change. There is time for presentation sometimes follow the lead of their sdexter.net/courses/589/downloads/ of new information, brain-storming colleagues) accomplishing the work of SpillaneLeadership05.pdf of ideas, true dialogue before decision leadership — setting direction, main- making, reflection, and increasing each taining commitment, and meeting Talan, T. N., & Bloom, P. J. (2004). person’s self-awareness.” adaptive challenges. The administra- Program administration scale: Measuring tive leadership team, with its inclusive early childhood leadership and manage- Paula Jorde Bloom describes three structure of directors, managers, and ment. New York: Teachers College assumptions about collaboration that assistant managers and established Press. apply to an organization demonstrat- routines for meeting planning and ing distributed leadership: 1) The facilitation, encompass the situation. whole is greater than the sum of its parts; 2) People have a right to be in- In an increasingly complex culture volved in making decisions that affect of change, it is important to increase their lives; and 3) People involved in an organization’s leadership capac- making decisions have a greater stake ity. Understanding leadership from a in carrying out those decisions than distributed perspective, with its focus do individuals who are not involved on leadership practice, enhances the (Bloom, 2000). possibility for those with role author- ity and those without role authority to Staff at the administrative leadership function as leaders. The lesson to be retreat clearly expressed their belief learned by early childhood adminis-