The main aim of this study was to provide insights into the current conceptions and practices of distributed leadership and its contribution to change and school improvement in a large public secondary school in Queensland, Australia. It has achieved this aim in a number of ways. First, the case study has used the framework and tools of cultural-historical activity theory to map and gain insights into Southern State High School (name has been changed) as a dynamic interdependent activity system. Second, the mapping process has facilitated an analysis of the perceptions and attitudes of case study participants towards the concept and action of distributed leadership. Third, the study has identified a range of tensions and contradictions associated with the distribution of leadership and how these have influenced leadership practice at Southern State High School. Fourth, the investigation has contrasted its findings with other international research on distributed leadership and its potential for influencing change and school improvement. The study reveals why distributed school leadership has become prominent in the contemporary international context of school improvement and leadership in the past decade. The reasons include the intensification of principal’s work, dramatically increased accountabilities of positional leaders, inadequate succession planning, parent participation in school decision making, and continuous reform driven by social, political and technological change.

The main thesis of the study is that in the turbulent complexity of modern schooling, effective leadership is more likely to be spread across a network of individuals rather than concentrated in the hands of one or two leaders. This reinforces dissatisfaction with the heroic overtones of charismatic leadership, the “power of one” or “super-leader” which has become increasingly challenged by those who define leadership as a collaborative and team-based activity. The core notion of distributed leadership suggests that school leadership does not just reside in the principal’s office but requires multiple leaders, formal and informal, spread across the school community. Yet, the interesting paradox is that effective distributed leadership practice depends first and foremost on a strong, powerful, yet humble “head” or principal. This research project strongly reinforces that conclusion. One of the main suggestions made is for a detailed developmental framework for distributed leadership practice to be constructed and considered by those who are responsible for supporting and enhancing the leadership skills of positional leaders. If a more practical and pragmatic set of distributive leadership resource materials are available for school-based practitioners, it is conceivable that the concepts, principles and ideas will be applicable to, and give impetus to, continuing school improvement and reform.