By Dr. Shirley J. Caruso, Ed.D.

Shirley J. Caruso, Ed.D.

Administrator, Manager, and Leader Defined

Sergiovanni (1991) defined administration as a process of working with and through others to accomplish goals efficiently. According to this definition, an administrator is one who is responsible for planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Managers also plan, coordinate, delineate objectives, and evaluate the performance of others. Therefore, the roles of administrators and managers share similarities. In contrast, leadership is the exercise of high-level conceptual skills and decisiveness. The actions of a leader, as described by Cannon and Griffith (2007), “are often a critical determinant of whether the group (organization) moves toward its potential, stagnates, or drifts into a dysfunctional spiral” (p. 13).

Administrators and Managers

• Maintain the day-to-day operation of a department or function
• Represent the planning, organizing, staffing, and controlling that are needed to achieve a goal or produce an output

Leaders

• Deal with creating a vision and strategic direction of an organization, or group of people
• Establish a culture and create conditions that facilitate the journey

 Tools an Administrator Might Use to Become a Successful Leader

Although the roles and responsibilities of leaders in contrast to the roles and responsibilities of administrators and managers may be more admirable to some, especially those who are being led, the combined roles and responsibilities of administrators, managers, and leaders contribute to the organization’s effectiveness. Therefore, successful leaders must be able to maintain the day-to-day operation as well as create a vision and strategic direction for it. They must be able to plan, organize, staff, and exert the control needed to achieve a goal as well as establish a culture and create conditions that facilitate change.

References

Cannon, M. D. & Griffin, B. A. (2007). Effective groups: Concepts and skills to meet leadership challenges. Boston,          MA: Pearson Education, Inc

Sergiovanni, T.J. (1991), The principalship: A reflective practice perspective. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and              Bacon.