I think that one of the best ways to learn leadership isn’t studying “leadership” at all. Instead, study individual leaders in their natural habitat and decide what they do that you want to try. Articles by and about leaders and interviews with them are mini-case studies that show you an actual leader in a real situation.

That’s why, every week, I bring you a selection of post about individual leaders. This week I’m pointing you to pieces by and about Mary Navarro, Zhang Ruimin, Larry Page, Mary Barra, and Kenichiro Yoshida.

From Hilary Burns: 3 keys to success from this top banker

“Huntington Bank’s Mary Navarro is one of the country’s top bankers. How she got there, and what she learned along the way”

From Art Kleiner: China’s Philosopher-CEO Zhang Ruimin

“Haier’s leader describes how he built a winning global company by continually reframing his management philosophy.”

From Miguel Helft: Google’s Larry Page: The most ambitious CEO in the universe

“As Google’s core business continues to thrive, Larry Page is making huge bets on new technology—ingestible nanoparticles, balloons that beam down broadband—that could define the future.”

From Jill Jusko: CEO Mary Barra is Driving Culture Change at General Motors

“GM CEO Mary Barra likens culture change to changing behaviors. The behaviors the company is working hard to impart are ownership, candidness, accountability — and improvement.”

From Eric Pfanner and Takashi Mochizuki: Sony’s Blunt CFO Takes the Spotlight

“It was a typical Sony Corp. earnings presentation: another missed forecast, another rise in restructuring costs, another predicted annual loss. Then Kenichiro Yoshida did something unusual while conducting his inaugural earnings conference last May as the company’s new chief financial officer.”