This study explored the relationship between distributed leadership and teachers' sense of self-efficacy, with a focus on the mediating roles of job satisfaction and trust in the principal in the context of mainland China. Five hundred and seventy elementary school teachers in South China participated in a survey. The results show that distributed leadership has indirect effects on teachers' self-efficacy, and that these effects are significantly mediated by job satisfaction and trust in the principal. The results highlight the importance of distributed leadership and trust in the principal in the Chinese context. Implications for the improvement of leadership practices are discussed.