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Improving Systems, Practices, and Outcomes

Distributed Leadership at ECTA

updated October 15, 2024

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center uses a distributed leadership model based on Structuring Leadership: Alternative Models for Distributing Power and Decision-Making in Nonprofit Organizations. This model promotes shared power and decision-making across the leadership team and within the organization. Distributed leadership benefits staff and clients because it:

  • Decentralizes power and authority.
  • Embraces values-based leadership.
  • Promotes diverse ideas and innovation.
  • Leverages leader expertise.
  • Increases responsiveness to internal and external needs.
  • Reflects a commitment to equity, innovation, and leadership development.
  • Increases sustainability by sharing responsibilities.

We operationalized this model within the ECTA leadership team by using the core infrastructure areas of expertise needed to meet the demands of a national technical assistance center of our scope and size. The leadership team retains its organizational structure of associate directors. Dr. Megan Vinh now serves as director. Christina Kasprzak, who had been co-director for 11 years, is now an associate director.

The other associate directors are Sherri Britt Williams, Laura Curtis, Schatzi McCarthy, Katy McCullough, Thomas McGhee, and Catasha Williams. We continue to have four partner leads: Lise Fox (University of South Florida), Kathy Hebbeler (SRI International), Shantel Meek (Children's Equity Project at Arizona State University), and Alissa Rausch (University of Denver).

There are six core infrastructure areas of responsibility. Leadership team members lead those infrastructure areas based on their expertise.

To implement this model successfully, the ECTA team has established clear roles and responsibilities, confirmed decision-making processes, and created a structure to include all aspects of the work. Topic teams, work groups, and core infrastructure teams continue to carry out their work with their respective leaders and teams. Individuals are trusted and empowered to continue to make clear and transparent decisions within their domains, relying on staff and leadership for input.

We continue to strive to create a culture where racial equity is embedded across our work. This includes looking critically at our organizational structure and analyzing how power is operating within it. By embracing a distributed leadership model, we further advance our commitment to equity through the (re)distribution of power and decision-making.