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 Laschinger, Ron Shaich, Nick Bayer, Ian Black, and Carmelyn P. Malalis.

From Adam Bryant: Mary Laschinger of Veritiv: Leadership With Its Roots on the Farm

“I grew up in a large family — with four brothers and three sisters — on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin. It wasn’t a big commercial farm. Everybody worked on the farm to support the family.”

From Bob Bryan: PANERA CEO: Robots will replace our labor ‘like the sun comes up in the morning’

“According to Ron Shaich, founder and CEO of Panera Bread, a tech revolution is coming, and it will be bad news for many workers.”

From Jared Shelly: Q&A: Nick Bayer of Saxbys Coffee

“Nick Bayer isn’t a coffee geek. In fact, he didn’t even drink coffee until he got the chance to invest in a Denver coffee shop in 2005. With that — and a maxed out credit card — Saxbys Coffee was born. Since then, it’s been a roller coaster ride that’s seen Bayer change business partners and funders, but one thing is clear today: Saxbys is thriving.”

From Ann Hui: Face of Uber Canada pushes for a ‘nicer’ approach

“Ian Black doesn’t like following other people’s rules – even when it comes to his lunch.”

From Adam Bryant: Carmelyn P. Malalis: Leading Through Praise, Not Fear

“From a very early age, I was in leadership roles, whether it was choir president in grade school or student council president in high school. My parents are immigrants from the Philippines, and even though they were proud of me, I think they were wary of the independence that was awakening in me. Having their daughter expressing her opinions so publicly and openly was just not something that culturally they were accustomed to.”