Instead of studying leadership, why not spend some time studying leaders and strategies in the wild? You can learn a lot from leadership experts, but you always see the leader and what he or she does through the expert’s personal lens. Supplement that learning with studying real leaders in real life situations and draw your own conclusions. The posts in this series will help you.

Every week I’ll point you to articles by and about real leaders in real situations and to articles about how real companies are faring in the marketplace. Read them. Think about them. Draw your own lessons and conclusions from them. Then try to apply those lessons in your own real life.

This week I’m pointing you to articles about Tim Whall, Phil Friedman, Christiane Fischer, Paul Morrow, and Mike Salvino.

From Frank Witsil: Detroiter discusses rise from tech helper to CEO of ADT

“Tim Whall, the CEO of ADT Security, was back in his hometown this month for a company event and to watch ‘Detroit,’ the Hollywood dramatization of civil violence in the city, with his siblings and 78-year old father, a former Detroit Police captain.”

From Joel Trammell: CEO Interview: Phil Friedman, CGS

“Phil Friedman is the president and CEO of Computer Generated Solutions (CGS), which enables global enterprises, regional companies, and government agencies to drive breakthrough performance through business applications, enterprise learning, and outsourcing services. He came to the U.S. from the former Soviet Union in 1976 and started CGS nearly 35 years ago with five employees. Today, CGS has more than 7,500 employees worldwide with operations in 18 offices in six countries. The company has customers in more than 45 countries.”

From Shellie Karabell: Confessions Of A Female CEO: You Need More Than Ambition And Drive

“When I call to speak with Christiane Fischer, I am told by her assistant that she’s on a call and would I mind holding? It turns out a lot of people have been holding: the President and CEO of AXA Art Americas Corporation has been on the phone almost non-stop for the two days prior to our interview call, talking to clients and suppliers, trying to get people and their possessions out of Irma’s way as the hurricane came barreling through the Caribbean en route to a large repository of collectors in southern Florida.”

Thanks to Kate Nasser for pointing me to this post.

From Joseph R. Mann, Jr: Homestead man goes from AC repair guy to CEO

“Through hard work, smart business decisions and a powerful desire to learn new skills, Paul Morrow, one of 19 children born to a rural family near Selma, Ala., was able to convert a small air conditioning business in Homestead into a multimillion dollar enterprise operating in Florida and throughout the East Coast.”

From Mike Salvino: How A Former Accenture CEO Turned A Failing Leadership Into Growth

“As CEO of Accenture Operations from 2009 to 2016, I was responsible for 100,000 people globally, and my first year was a disaster. It began with a determination to over-deliver and ended very differently. I promised strong profitable growth and instead delivered a negative impact—not the start anyone wanted.”