The reforming appeal of distributed leadership

Beirne, M. (2017) The reforming appeal of distributed leadership. British Journal of Healthcare Management, 23(6), pp. 262-270. (doi: 10.12968/bjhc.2017.23.6.262)

Abstract

With a systematic literature review, this article examines the significance of distributed leadership in healthcare, assessing the extent to which it reflects a consistent set of values, meanings, practices and outcomes. It identifies key mediating factors and their importance in enabling or constraining distributive leadership processes. The findings indicate that clinicians without formal leadership titles are inspiring change and driving improvements, although countervailing pressures are limiting this in practice. Distributed leadership is evident in the way that clinical teams function, and more could be made of this for the modernisation of healthcare. At present, this potential tends to be constrained, and subject to competing interpretations that reflect distinct occupational identities. Greater attention could be given to educational and developmental programmes that claim space for distributed influence among current and aspiring leaders, and for enabling arrangements that can help ‘ordinary leaders’ to feel less vulnerable and more confident about this aspect of their practice. Established approaches to leader development could be usefully refocused to prioritise collective processes and refine relational abilities, ideally with more inclusive, joint venture initiatives that bring formal and informal leaders together for mutual learning and effective engagement.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Distributed leadership, shared leadership, ordinary leadership, leadership in context.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Beirne, Professor Martin
• Authors: Beirne, M.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor; H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management; H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management
• Journal Name: British Journal of Healthcare Management
• Publisher: Mark Allen Healthcare
• ISSN: 1358-0574
• ISSN (Online): 1759-7382
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 MA Healthcare Limited
• First Published: First published in British Journal of Healthcare Management 23(6): 262-270
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy