The call for a more collectively-embedded notion of leadership has arisen from
research, theory and practice that highlights the limitations of the traditional
‘leader-follower’ dualism that places the responsibility for leadership firmly in the
hands of the ‘leader’ and represents the ‘follower’ as somewhat passive and
subservient. Instead, it is argued that: ‘leadership is probably best conceived as a
group quality, as a set of functions which must be carried out by the group’ (Gibb,
1954, cited in Gronn 2000: 324). As such, this approach demands a dramatic
reconsideration of the distribution of power and influence within organisations. It
isn’t simply about creating more ‘leaders’ (a numerical/additive function) but
facilitating ‘concertive action’ and pluralistic engagement (Gronn, 2000; 2002). In
effect, distributed leadership is far more than the sum of its parts.