Baldwin and Winslow truly get how social change happens. What they also get – because they’ve lived it – is the developmental journey that system leaders must go through to become effective at this work. This is a journey that’s both inward and outward facing – and one that typically advances through the use of powerful tools that support system leadership.

As a collective impact practitioner, what other capabilities and tools have you found to be helpful in catalyzing collective leadership? What advice do you have for other Collective Impact Forum members who are attempting to develop their system leadership skills? We look forward to hearing from you.

The difference between 'collective impact' or non-profit
Automatic Production Line is not only in the mission but also in the fact that corporations focus intensely on results (shareholder value, items sold, overall profits, etc) and collective impact organizations have notoriously focuessed too much on process. The problem with many corporate investors in collective impact is that they often have 'visionary leadership' in the form of one person but wherever there is public accountability, this responsibility is distributed amongst many leaders.

This can be very exciting if they are all on the same page or an exercise in futility if they are not. Human beings being human beings, we need to ensure that incentives for change are built into all processes so that people are reinforced for progressive behaviors and not expected to become sacrificial lambs for a cause.

In collective impact we are also usually trying to change a mind set amongst the general population, which takes time, hard work, partnerships and marketting efforts, unlike the corporate relationship which is generally between companies and their customers. I am always amused at corporate executives who run fabulous profit-oriented businesses but get frustrated and confused when dealing with collective impact and the multitude of stakeholders.

But I was troubled by his orientation towards the leadership he felt was required. “We need to drive these evidenced based practices through Chassis System , from top to bottom," he said. “We need to force communities to understand what’s good for them.” Uh, oh, I thought to myself. Yet one more well-intentioned, influential individual in society who wants to bring about change for the better, but just doesn’t get how social change happens.

The minute you use words like “drive” and “force” to describe your intended process for bringing about change I head the other direction quickly. We can’t force change in a system – or if we do, it’s likely to result in only temporary change. If we want to exercise leadership in bringing about social change, our leadership task is really about facilitating the conditions within which others can make progress towards the goal. The leadership work of social change requires an ability to catalyze collective leadership in others - a form of leadership that Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton and I refer to in a new Stanford Social Innovation Review article as “System Leadership.”

Nowhere in the social sector is the need for system leadership more apparent than in the collective impact efforts many of us are involved in supporting. By its very nature, collective impact eschews top-down hierarchical forms of leadership that may work in the corporate world (though, even in the corporate world, most executives are finding that top-down leadership works less and less as an effective means for bringing about organizational change). Indeed, one of the qualities of collective impact that enables communities to achieve progress at scale – across, in some cases, hundreds of organizations – is the fact that no one individual or organization is in charge of a collective impact effort. A few years ago author and New York Times columnist David Bornstein described the need for collective impact this way:

When it comes to solving social problems, society often behaves like a drowning man whose arms and legs thrash about wildly in the water. We expend a great deal of energy, but because we don’t work together efficiently, we don’t necessarily move forward. (March 7, 2011, New York Times)

For collective impact efforts to move from thrashing to thriving requires leadership less like that described by the eager-for-change pharma exec, and more like the leadership examples Senge, Hamilton and I share in The Dawn of System Leadership. Folks like Molly Baldwin at Roca, a community based organization who is transforming how communities think about supporting troubled young men and boys, and Darcy Winslow formerly of Nike, who helped catalyze an industry sustainability revolution in the design of athletic shoes and apparel.

Not just small and strong, they can be big and strong as well as in the case of an incredible machine that is used for the maintenance and repair of bridges that cross railway tracks. To accomplish this, a pair of 30 tonne lift tables, each 4,500mm x 2,400mm with 1,500mm of stroke were supplied which were mounted on turntables and then onto a flat bed rail car and can lift bridges spanning the rail tracks.

There are no typical specifications for scissor lifts as they can be designed to suit almost every application and if the end-use dictates that they be built in galvanised or stainless steel for use in corrosive conditions or where absolute cleanliness is required such as in hospitals and the Passenger Lift industry. Resistance to saltwater corrosion is important in the oil and related marine industries, and not just commercial applications either as a stainless steel lifting and tilting scissor lift with a special carriage for holding a torpedo was recently commissioned! This was for the use a one of the NATO member countries Navy's in the testing and launching of torpedoes.

Peter Lomax is an employee of Power Lift located in Nottingham. They design and fabricate scissorlifts, platform lifts and lift tables for both British and international clients. They are renowned specialists in the manufacture of table scissor lifts, able to produce stainless steel lift tables to meet their customers' exacting specifications.

Choosing a lift kit that's right for you can be overwhelming. With so many options available, it can be difficult to determine which kind of kit to choose. To help narrow down the possibilities, you should begin by determining if a body lift kit or a suspension lift is more appropriate for your application. Both body lifts and suspension lifts are vehicle modifications that either lift the body of the vehicle or the suspension. When most kits are installed, owner's often purchase taller tires. Some newer 4x4's and SUV's come with a moderate lift, however many are nose down. Most lift kits will level out the vehicle.

Commercial Parking Lifts - This type boasts of tremendous space to store a number of vehicles. Mainly designed for the commercial purpose of storing vehicles, this design is a big hit among manufacturers. Since the design is absolutely commercial, therefore the prices remain low.

Residential Parking Lifts - The residential lift used for parking cars is a common sight in household garages. For those with a love for their "wheels", they just cannot stay content with one car. To solve the problem of space crunch in garages, they install this lift to make room for two cars within limited space.

Heavy Duty Automotive Lifts - The heavy-duty car lifts have the basic design and structure to take the load of trucks and the bulky SUVs. The kind of weight these automotive have, not many car park lifts can take their weight. It is because of this reason that the heavy-duty automotive lifts come into the picture to offer the necessary help.

Four-Post Automotive Truck Lifts - Four-post automotive lifts offer multi-purpose solution. There is tremendous scope to use this type of car lift in case of residential car lifts as well as service lifts. The interesting feature about the four-post automotive truck lift is that it can take the weight up to 9000lbs.

Motorcycle Lifts - Are you interested in routine maintenance of your bike? Then having a motorcycle lift is very important for you. This lift allows you to regularly manage your bike in terms of cleanliness and doing the minor repair work. Motorcycle lifts can carry weight up to 1000 pounds and is very effective.

Lift chairs are also designed to help individuals go up stairs. These are very common in older buildings. However, newer buildings are starting to include them in the event of an emergency when the elevators can't be used. Two of the most common types of lift chairs are wheel chair lifts and stair chair lifts.

Wheelchair lifts are made of an enclosed area with a wide opening. The individual guides their wheelchair into it while still seated. There are operating buttons inside similar to an elevator. The entry side closes and the lift moves up or down to the desired location. Once it stops, the other side opens and the individual is able to wheel out with ease. These are very popular for employers who require a wheelchair. They are easy to use and the individual does not have to ask anyone for assistance. Wheelchair lifts must meet all ADA requirements.

It is not uncommon for disabled individuals to have a wheelchair lift on one side of their van. This makes getting in and out very easy. These generally work with the use of hydraulics. Most vans can be modified to add a wheelchair lift without too much difficulty.

Lift chairs are commonly used in businesses for individuals who do not have to use a wheelchair, but have difficulty walking up stairs or inclines. These generally have a chair at the base that the individual sits in. They then use the controls to move up or down the lift. The chair moves slowly, but it a great alternative for those who find the stairs to be very difficult to conquer.

Lift chairs are inexpensive, and can easily be added to your home along a stairway if you need to use one on a regular basis. For many people, this option has allowed them to be able to remain in their home rather than move to a one level or assisted living environment.