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 Bob Iger, Julian Richer, John Gonsalves, Kevin Johnson, and Aaron Levie.

From Maureen Dowd: The Slow-Burning Success of Disney’s Bob Iger

“Hollywood’s nicest C.E.O. on the great family dramas of Hollywood — and why he, too, is disturbed by Twitter.”

From the Economist: From rags to Richer

“If this tale seems all too familiar, in other ways the 60-year-old Mr Richer is an atypical entrepreneur. That became clear in May when he announced he was selling a majority stake in the company to a trust owned by the staff, and remitting around 40% of the proceeds in the form of a cash bonus to colleagues. For every year of service, they received £1,000 ($1,230). His gesture reflected the management philosophy he has developed over his 40-year business career.”

From Billy Yost: John Gonsalves Brings High-Tech Innovation to TaylorMade Golf

“John Gonsalves says he always played TaylorMade products, even before he joined the company in 2011. Now vice president of direct-to-consumer and digital at the golf equipment manufacturer, Gonsalves is helping bring modern digital solutions to a fairly traditional sport. Gonsalves’s initiative has earned TaylorMade the Best in Class eTail Visionary Award from eTail West for its subscription-based financing program called The Turn, as well as a cutting-edge online customization platform for its renowned Spider and Spider X putter. The VP’s early adoption of e-commerce is helping keep TaylorMade at the forefront of its sport.”

From Adi Ignatius: Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson on Work, Joy, and, Yes, Coffee

“How did longtime tech executive Kevin Johnson end up as the CEO of Starbucks? The journey began in 2012, when Johnson, then CEO of Juniper Networks, was diagnosed with skin cancer. For several months, he found himself continually canceling and rescheduling doctor appointments before finally stopping to ask himself: ‘Why am I prioritizing some business commitment over a health priority that could be fatal?’ He quit his job to, actually, spend more time with his wife, family, and friends.”

From Adam Bryant: The Quality that Box CEO Aaron Levie Values Most in New Hires: Humility

“Always great to catch up with Aaron and hear how his approach to leadership has evolved. He shared smart insights about making sure Box stays nimble as it scales, and why humility is such an essential trait for building a high-performing culture.”

Thanks to Smartbrief on Leadership for pointing me to this story

For some ideas about how to get more from this series of posts, check out “Studying Leaders in the Wild.“