Implementing Distributed Leadership in Pre-school Education Institutions

Abstract

The article aims to reveal the implementation of distributed leadership in Lithuanian pre-school education institutions from the perspective of a principal in the organization. The article presents the results of qualitative research (the interviews n=11) conducted in 2019 in Lithuania. The research is based on the concept of distributed leadership as a result of interaction between leaders and followers, as a forward-looking transformation, which is discussed in science. The position of a principal has been chosen: the perspective of the person elected as a pre-school principal for the first time, or an experienced pre-school principal who is assigned to manage two institutions at the same time. The research has revealed that the majority of principals seek to implement distributed leadership due to their moral values and from the pragmatic point of view. The factors that hinder principals’ desire to implement distributed leadership in pre-school education institutions have been revealed as well.