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 Scott Colwell, Orion Bell, Peter Hortensius, Kat Cole and John Arrillaga Sr.

From Rachel Feintzeig: Carvel Exec: Why I Said No to Yogurt

“Scott Colwell leads Carvel Corp., a franchise whose locations dish up soft serve cones and Fudgie the Whale cakes. The company currently has about 400 locations but has seen its footprint shrink over the years; in 1990 it had 700 locations. This year, which marks its eightieth anniversary, Carvel plans to debut 20 new stores. The company is owned by Focus Brands Inc., which also counts Cinnabon and Moe’s Southwest Grill among its chains. Focus is owned by private-equity firm Roark Capital Group. Edited excerpts follow.”

From Jill Phillips: 5 questions with: Orion Bell

“Orion Bell tries to predict the future. Orion is the president and chief executive officer of CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, a not-for-profit agency focused on helping seniors and those with disabilities remain living independently.”

From Troy Wolverton: Lenovo CTO Peter Hortensius on innovation, wearables and the PC market

“When you think of innovation, the companies that make traditional PCs may not be the first ones that come to mind. But Peter Hortensius would argue that Lenovo is not your standard PC maker.”

From Adam Bryant: Kat Cole of Cinnabon, on Questioning Success More Than Failure

“An executive says employees ‘should feel very concerned if they don’t understand why they’re successful.'”

From J.P. Mangalindan: The secretive billionaire who built Silicon Valley

“How John Arrillaga Sr. transformed California fruit orchards into high-priced office space for the likes of Google, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Cisco.”