Websites

Affirmative Options is a statewide coalition of more than 50 organizations who believe that poverty is not inevitable.

http://www.authenticpromotion.com/work-life-balance
These ten articles by life coach, Molly Gordon, describe in clear, concise language the principles and practices most writings on life balance emphasize.

The Center for Rural Policy and Development, based in St. Peter, Minn., is a non-partisan, not-for-profit policy research organization dedicated to benefiting Minnesota by providing its policy makers with an unbiased evaluation of issues from a rural perspective.

www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/lcep/  – This is the website for the Minnesota Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2020. There are many resources about poverty in Minnesota.

EdChange is dedicated to equity and justice in schools and society.

www.jobsnowcoalition.org – The JOBS NOW Coalition clearly documents what families in Minnesota need to meet their basic needs. There is a wage and budget calculator to determine what it takes to support your family in your county.

www.indicators.nwaf.org – This website includes forty-six indicators of local population characteristics – poverty and other family stability indicators.

The Minnesota State Demographic Center analyzes and distributes data from state, U.S. Census Bureau and other sources.

One Ummah is a team of consultants, trainers and consultants who have come together from a broad range of fields to assist organizations in building their multicultural competence.

The Society for Organizational Learning is a learning community composed of organizations, individuals, and local Society for Learning communities.

Southern Poverty Law Center is internationally known for its tolerance education programs, its legal victories against white supremacists and its tracking of hate groups.

Tolerance.org is a principal online destination for people interested in dismantling bigotry and creating, in hate’s stead, communities that value diversity. 

http://www.wellnessinventory.net/ Sometimes it is helpful to have a tool to get to one’s own definition of balance.  This particular inventory is a holistic assessment and life-balance program designed to help individuals gain personal insight into their state of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness. The program offers guidance and tools to transform this new awareness into sustainable lifestyle change, and a renewed sense of health and wellbeing.

www.workingpoorfamilies.org The Working Poor Families Project is a national initiative focused on state workforce development policies.

Books

Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town Newspaper, by Jim Pumarlo.

Balanced Life and Leadership Excellence: A Nurturing Relationship,  by Madan Birla and Cecilia Miller Marshall (Balance Group, July 1997) This is an interesting collection of articles that help readers reflect on the internal and external causes of imbalance.  The authors offer 40 practical ideas for a personal life plan and eleven principles for unleashing one’s leadership and creativity.  This is a book that balances the practical and the personal dimensions of balanced living.

Coming Up for Air: How to Build a Balanced Life in a Workaholic World,  by Beth Sawi (Hyperion, 2000) While written from a corporate perspective, the book nevertheless does a very good job addressing the dangers of being over-connected because of all the technological tools we have.

The Community Leadership Handbook, by James F Krile, Gordon Curphy and Duane R. Lund. Provides an overview on rural leadership and focuses on the three core competencies of community leadership: framing ideas, building and using social capital and mobilizing resources. Fieldstone Alliance Publishing Center, 2006.

The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of Learning Organization, by Peter M. Senge, Doubleday Publishing, 2006.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne- Teaches the “hidden rules” of economic class and that there are strategies for overcoming class differences. She describes poverty as “the extent to which an individual does without resources.”

Leadership is an Art by Max De Pree. Often called a “timeless” work for business leaders, De Pree views leadership as stewardship and asserts that effective leaders build relationships, reach out to others and nurture new leaders. Doubleday, 2004.

Leadership Without Easy Answers, by Ronald A. Heifetz, Belknap/Harvard
University Press, 1994.

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich- The author writes a “diary” style description of her experiences working in different low-wage jobs across the country. Great humor and insight.

On Organizational Learning, by Chris Argyris. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell
Publishers, 1993.

Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations and Society, by Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski and Betty Sue Flowers. Doubleday Publishing, 2005.

Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness, by Robert K. Greenleaf. Described as a “classic work on leadership for businessmen and women, government leaders and all persons in positions of authority.” Paulist Press, 2002.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman.

Teaching Smart People How to Learn, by Chris Argyris. Harvard Business Review, May 1, 1991.

Until It’s Gone by Scott C. Miller- Scott Miller makes the case for ending poverty in America.  Community change is created through the knowledge of what it really takes for people to get out of poverty.

The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David Shipler- A journalist’s perspective on what it means to be poor in America. Many portraits of poverty combined with an analysis of the failure of economic systems and other societal systems in America.

Articles

“Chris Argyris: Theories of Action, Double-Loop Learning and Organization
Leadership” is available online at: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/argyris.htm.

“Latino Leadership: Building a Humanistic and Diverse Society,”  by Juana Bordes. Its executive summary provides an overview on the focus of this
article: “…describes a collective, people-centered vision of leadership that grows out of Latino history and core values, and is responsive to the challenges Latino leaders face today.” Journal of Leadership Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2001.

“Peter Senge and the Theory and Practice of the Learning Organization” is available online at: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/senge.htm.

“Preparing Facilitative Leaders,”  by Mary Jo Clark and Pat Heiny, 2007.
This article explores issues such as: the current leadership environment, how communities can effectively maximize opportunities, core capacities of leaders and servant leadership.

“Shared Leadership” is available online at: http://www.infed.org/leadership/shared_leadership.htm.

“The Understanding and Practice of Servant Leadership.”  This article defines servant leadership, identifies the characteristics of the servant-leader and examines servant leadership as an institutional model.
Article adapted from chapter 2, “Practicing Servant Leadership: Succeeding through Trust, Bravery, and Forgiveness,” Larry C. Spears and Michele Lawrence, editors, Jossey-Bass, 2004.