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 David Novak, Bethenny Frankel, John Legere, Jeff Goodby, and Sebastian Hauptmann.

From J. P. Donlon: Former Yum! Brands CEO David Novak Extols the Power of Recognition

“During David Novak’s 15-year run as CEO of Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum! Brands, he gained a reputation for using unlikely accolades—rubber chickens and chattering teeth—to galvanize employees.”

From Aaron Task: How Bethenny Frankel Turned Reality TV Into Serious Business

“Bethenny Frankel wasn’t the first reality TV star, but she has used the platform to grow her business and brand better than anyone this side of Donald Trump. In addition to starring on The Real Housewives of New York City and Bethenny Ever After, Frankel has hosted a talk show, written four best-selling books, and founded the Skinnygirl line of cocktails, which she sold to Fortune Brands in 2011.”

From Richard Feloni: The T-Mobile CEO who calls his competition ‘dumb and dumber’ explains how he doubled customers in 4 years, and how a group of employees made him cry

“Since joining the company in 2012, Legere has taken Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile from a struggling mobile carrier known for subpar coverage and service to the third-largest and fastest-growing carrier in the US. Along the way, Legere grew his hair out, donned a T-Mobile leather jacket, and declared industry leaders AT&T and Verizon ‘dumb and dumber,’ the villains to his Batman.”

Thanks to Smartbrief on Leadership for pointing me to this story

From Adam Bryant: Jeff Goodby: Work for Bosses Who Can Take a Joke

“A founder of the ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners describes having to unlearn management skills to nudge creative people toward their best work.”

From Knut Alicke and Christian Johnson: Warehousing value: An interview with Sky Deutschland’s Sebastian Hauptmann

“Serving more than 4.6 million subscribers, Sky Deutschland—a unit of UK-based Sky—is the largest pay-TV operator in Austria and Germany, with revenue growth of more than 10 percent for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016. Serving a geographically large, populous, and underpenetrated market with advanced technologies and services makes operational performance critical, especially in supply-chain management and logistics. Customers expect next-day delivery of essential technology such as set-top and smart-TV boxes, and it’s up to the company’s warehouse function to deliver two million parcels each year and handle one million returns as customers move to a new house or upgrade their services.”