If you are a leader, you are a builder. You are moving to accomplish something, to take a group of people in a certain direction, to build a strong church or business.
If you are an expert, you collect and distribute information. Information that comes from past experiences, or from info you have read or heard. You take that information and inform people concerning it. In fact you inform leaders as well as the masses. It is because of you that a leader is able to make an informed decision. Experts rarely make decisions. They know a lot but are not decision makers, and are seldom action oriented.
Now I am not writing this to shed a bad light on “experts”. It is more of a reminder for me.
Leaders make decisions. Experts collect those decisions as information.
Leaders are involved. They are working to accomplish the goals they have set for the organization. They are leading people toward an accomplishment. Experts observe these actions and draw conclusions based on the information they have collected about “what has happened”. Then they file it for a future talk.
Leaders are not concerned with being an expert. They know how to leverage the experts when needed.
Leaders are not concerned with becoming a celebrity, they are concerned with training other leaders.
Leaders are great builders, experts are great collectors.
As a leader it is not necessary for me to be the smartest person in the room. I must listen to the people in the room and make the best decision for the organization.
As a leader I must find ways to motivate people to get involved and engaged. There is a shortage today of people that are willing to “do.” This is a leadership problem. Often a leader falls into the “expert trap” and pursues the collecting of ideas rather than the movement of people to greatness. When a leader becomes an expert he produces inactive followers and quits building. This is a great reminder.
Here’s two questions… Are you building or soaking? Which one has God called you to do?
Leaders build….
Experts collect and talk.
There is a world of difference between the two.
phillipbrande.com 
This is a great reminder for me, especially during this busy time of the school year. It was interesting as I was listening to one of my experts this morning and yes…at the end of that time spent made decisions related to school and our children…set goals and moved forward. Sometimes it’s easy to become stagnent in our role in our jobs, in our home, in church, and in the community. Thanks for the reminder.