Administrators

Part 2 in our conversation about Leadership deals with the difference between a leader and an administrator.  (if you are just joining us please go back and read the posts entitled "Thoughts on Leadership" and "What is a Leader")

Q: What is the difference between a leader and an administrator?

A: An administrator is one who makes a process more efficient, a leader is one who defines the process.

Biblical Examples: The seven men appointed in acts to oversee the distribution of the food were administrators. The twelve (apostles) who said effectively 'here's how we are going to address the problem' were leaders. The twelve had a mission to complete (the ministry of the word and prayer), and despite that fact that other people wanted their attention, they knew that addressing concern that had arisen wasn't part of what God wanted them to be doing, so they appointed a group to solve the problem, and stayed focused on their mission.

Nehemiah was clearly a gifted leader - he had a God given desire to get something done and got it done. In Nehemiah chapter 2 we see him setting a strategy in place, before talking with the leaders of the people.  Once he had a strategy in place, he went to them and convinced them that it was the right thing to do.  He overcame ridicule and numerous threats both political and physical.  He kept the people's morale high by setting reasonable goals and reminding them that God was with them.  The people told him time after time it would never work, but he pressed on.

Jethro, Moses' father in law, used the gift of administration to compliment Moses' gift of leadership, by telling him how to organize the people so that he (Moses) could focus on his God given mission.  At Jethro's advice, Moses broke the people into manageable groups, and put a structure in place that would lead to vastly increased efficiency.  Leaders would do well to remember that there is value in having trustworthy counselors.  Just learn a lesson from Solomon's son Jeroboam, he listened to the counselors who told him what he wanted to hear, and "forsook the counsel of the elders."  He listened to counsel, but listened to the wrong counselors.  The leader bears the responsibility to determine which counselors to heed to and which to reject.