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 Sharon Doherty, Bobbi Brown, Jacqueline Applegate, John Chambers, and Harry’s.

From the London Business School: Living through the shift: how to survive and thrive in the age of digital transformation

“Sharon Doherty, Global Organisation & People Development Director, Vodafone, addresses common concerns for organisations facing disruption.”

From Darrah Brustein: Bobbi Brown On Reinvention And How Talking To Strangers Was The Key To Her Success

“Long gone are the days when you choose one career path and do that for the rest of your life. Even when you’re the best at it. Enter Bobbi Brown, famed cosmetics mogul who’s now in a new act of her career after selling her brand (and namesake). Aptly named, Brown’s new company Evolution promotes ‘beauty from the inside out’.”

From Jessie Scott: Jacqueline Applegate’s Perspective on Embracing Change

“The ability to embrace change has propelled this leader through the ranks at Bayer.”

Thanks to Smartbrief on Leadership for pointing me to this story

From Gabriel Perna: Former Cisco CEO John Chambers On Startup Cultures and Vulnerability

“Not too many people get the chance to change the world once—never mind a second time. John Chambers is aiming to be among the select few.”

From Michael J. de la Merced: Shaving Start-Up Harry’s Will Be Sold to Owner of Schick for $1.37 Billion

“When they founded Harry’s as a shaving start-up nearly nine years ago, Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider sought to shake up a decades-old business dominated by two giants in the field. Now, they’re joining forces with one of them.”

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