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 Kate White, Chris O’Malley, Derek Jenkins, Brent Frei, and David Dillon.

From Caroline McMillan Portillo: Try this strategy in 2015: ‘Drain the swamp as you slay the alligators’

“It’s not a phrase you hear very often: ‘Drain the swamp as you slay the alligators.’ But it’s a tidbit of advice longtime magazine editor Kate White has carried with her for years.”

From JC Reindl: New CEO wants Compuware to be greyhound, not lazy bulldog

“Compuware’s new CEO, Chris O’Malley, doesn’t see himself as any sort of caretaker for a company in terminal decline. To the contrary, the chief executive said he believes there are many growth opportunities which Compuware is just now starting to leverage by becoming faster, more aggressive and acting like a start-up company as it remains headquartered in downtown.”

From David Undercoffler: How I Made It: Derek Jenkins, design director at Mazda North America

“As director for design at Mazda North America in Irvine, Derek Jenkins leads the design direction of Mazda’s current and future vehicle lineup. Jenkins, 44, has shaped the look of the brand’s top-selling models and is the pen behind the upcoming refresh of the MX-5 Miata.”

From Adam Bryant: Brent Frei of Smartsheet.com: A Good Excuse Doesn’t Fix a Problem

“A chief executive says that ‘there’s a valid excuse for every failure, but the question is, How do you overcome those valid excuses?'”

From Ken Stephens: Kroger CEO ends career where it started – at North Main Dillons

“David Dillon’s career came full circle Tuesday afternoon. The retiring chairman of Kroger, parent company of Dillon Stores, returned to where he got his start in the grocery business, the Dillons store at 1319 N. Main St. He visited with customers, thanked employees and even bagged groceries and loaded them into the car for Dianne Coons, an old family friend.”