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This study investigates the status and challenges of teacher leadership development in China’s exam-oriented education system under a centralized governance framework, comparing it with the non-Western theoretical perspective of teacher leadership practices in Malaysia’s multicultural context. Through literature analysis and comparative research method, four major problems faced by the teacher leadership development in China have been revealed: (1) conceptual misinterpretation, (2) constrained authority, (3) insufficient role awareness, and (4) an underdeveloped training system. In contrast, Malaysia has institutionalized teacher leadership as its national strategy via its ‘Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013–2025’, implementing innovative practices such as the ‘Chief Teacher’ (Guru Cemerlang) system, professional learning communities (PLCs), and distributed leadership models. Based on comparative analysis, this study proposes systemic implications for China, including policy transformation, institutional innovation, and gradual assessment reforms. The findings provide cross-cultural policy recommendations to enhance teacher leadership development in China, suggesting a potential pathway for cultivating a special, contextually appropriate model of teacher leadership.
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