The policy and professional context of schooling in the last decade has shifted considerably in response to increasing concerns about student achievement. The standards movement and high stakes testing have generated an expectation of improved performance and increased educational achievement. Schools are anxious to find new ways of securing and sustaining improved performance. Evidence suggests that distributed leadership is one potential contributor to positive change and transformation in school systems. Consequently, many schools are currently trialing alternative models of leadership in an effort to distribute leadership more widely. This paper explores the relationship between distributed leadership and organizational change. It draws upon the existing empirical evidence to consider whether distributed forms of leadership influence development and change in schools. The paper examines the research base relating to distributed leadership and organizational outcomes. It focuses on how different patterns or configurations of distributed leadership contribute to organizational development. The paper concludes by highlighting issues that require further study and more empirical confirmation.