This study explores the development of teacher leadership in virtual communities of practice (vCoPs) through a phenomenological research design with semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight the pivotal role of vCoPs in nurturing teacher leadership skills, facilitated by the interplay of teacher agency and distributed leadership. Teacher agency empowers educators to proactively take control of their learning journey, enabling them to explore personal interests and expertise, while distributed leadership allows teachers to assume leadership roles regardless of formal positions or seniority. This collaboration fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment within vCoPs, where teacher leadership thrives. The study also examines the specific contributions of teacher agency and distributed leadership to teacher leadership development in vCoPs, emphasizing the importance of shared leadership and the dynamic interplay between these concepts. The findings underscore the potential of vCoPs to enhance teacher leadership through peer-to-peer learning, collaborative environments, professional networks, and innovation. The study concludes by discussing the transformative redefinition of teacher leadership in vCoPs, highlighting the unique features of teacher agency and distributed leadership in this digital context.This study explores the development of teacher leadership in virtual communities of practice (vCoPs) through a phenomenological research design with semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight the pivotal role of vCoPs in nurturing teacher leadership skills, facilitated by the interplay of teacher agency and distributed leadership. Teacher agency empowers educators to proactively take control of their learning journey, enabling them to explore personal interests and expertise, while distributed leadership allows teachers to assume leadership roles regardless of formal positions or seniority. This collaboration fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment within vCoPs, where teacher leadership thrives. The study also examines the specific contributions of teacher agency and distributed leadership to teacher leadership development in vCoPs, emphasizing the importance of shared leadership and the dynamic interplay between these concepts. The findings underscore the potential of vCoPs to enhance teacher leadership through peer-to-peer learning, collaborative environments, professional networks, and innovation. The study concludes by discussing the transformative redefinition of teacher leadership in vCoPs, highlighting the unique features of teacher agency and distributed leadership in this digital context.