ABSTRACT
This chapter offers four reasons principals might want to distribute power and authority. The first reason to distribute power and authority is to break the bonds of dependence between principals and teachers. A second reason for distributing power and authority is to build leadership throughout the school. The third reason for distributing power and authority is to increase leadership resources. A fourth reason the hero myth is detrimental not only to the school but also to the principal. The chapter explains the ways to intentionally build and sustain a system that supports teachers as they take on leadership roles. It looks at structures that foster collaborative leadership. When principals are clear in student own minds about how schools can function with distributed power and authority, teachers are more likely to be leaders in countless ways. Accomplishing a shared vision for student learning requires structures to support the work of teachers.
