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 Hubert Joly, Deanna Mulligan. Darcy Horn Davenport, Susan Schmitt, and Gautam Gupta,

From Kate Taylor: Best Buy’s CEO says he uses 5 criteria to decide whether someone’s a leader

“Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly has five criteria to determine whether someone has leadership potential. He calls them the five ‘bes’ of leadership.”

From McKinsey: The CEO of Guardian Life on talent in an age of digital disruption

“By rethinking its approach to talent management and introducing agile working practices, the company aims to stay a step ahead of disruptive competitors.”

From Jennifer Pellet: Q&A: Premier Nutrition’s Darcy Horn Davenport

“Since Darcy Horn Davenport stepped into a leadership role at Emeryville, California-based Premier Nutrition, sales have soared, climbing 24% in 2017. Her secret? A culture of empowerment that’s led to lunchtime yoga classes and a bring-your-dog-to-work policy.”

From David Grossman: Someone to Know: Q&A with Rockwell Automation Senior Vice President of Human Resources Susan Schmitt

“What do strategy, saddles and sequins all have in common? Susan Schmitt! Susan is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Rockwell Automation. She is leading the company’s efforts to build leadership capability and make Rockwell a place where employees are energized to do their best work and attract the very best talent. When not leading HR strategy for this global organization, she’s pursuing her other passions – horses and ballroom dancing. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Susan for many years and watching her transform Rockwell. I’m excited for you to get to know and learn from her as well.”

From Elliot Begoun: “Being a great leader and a great manager is really hard”

“As a kid, Gautam Gupta struggled with his weight. At 18, he knew he had to make a change. He made a significant adjustment to his diet and started to exercise. He lost 70 pounds. That journey also awoke in him a passion for making snacking healthier. He founded NatureBox with the belief that people should be able to snack confidently, knowing that are eating real food with real flavor.”