The need for effective early childhood leadership has never been greater than in this time of global economic crisis, demand for standards-based practice, and increased accountability for program outcomes. Distributed leadership is a hot topic in the educational leadership world, and much has been written about taking a distributed approach to leadership in K-12 schools. The author asserts that this approach adds value to one's understanding of effective leadership in early childhood programs. What is new and exciting about distributed leadership is that it puts "leadership practice" front and center. A distributed approach to leadership widens the lens to focus attention equally on leaders, followers, and specific situations. This broader perspective allows one to see the interdependencies between all three, which is the practice of leadership. The author looks at each of these aspects of leadership practice--leaders, followers, and situations--in greater depth. (Contains 3 resources.)