Distributed leadership of middle leaders in a Singapore polytechnic

Despite growing studies on distributed leadership, significant gaps persist in understanding how it manifests in higher education, particularly within Asian hierarchical institutional settings. Limited research has examined middle leaders’ lived experiences in enacting distributed leadership. This study examines distributed leadership practices of middle leaders in a Singapore polytechnic, exploring their perceived experiences, affordances, and constraints within a higher education setting. Using phenomenological methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Course Leaders. Findings revealed that middle leaders enacted distributed leadership through informal role assignments based on expertise, networking with stakeholders to create leadership development opportunities, facilitating shared decision-making, and fostering collective engagement. Key affordances included domain knowledge proficiency, stakeholder relationships, and operational familiarity, whilst key constraints encompassed inadequate leadership preparation, complex stakeholder management and administrative burdens. The study reconceptualises distributed leadership as a pragmatically bounded practice shaped by hierarchical institutional structures and cultural values, rather than diminished by them.