Some of the best learning happens when you read stories about real people and real companies. Read them for ideas, for lessons, and inspiration. This week’s stories and strategies from real life are about Sprint, Nokia, General Motors, TED, and IBM.

From the Wall Street Journal : With Shouts and Hugs, Sprint Boss Drives Turnaround

“The 56-year-old Mr. Son, a maverick billionaire and one of Japan’s best-known CEOs, wants to use Sprint to upend the U.S. wireless industry much the same way he did in Japan with a takeover of beleaguered Vodafone Japan in 2006.”

From INSEAD: What Could Have Saved Nokia, and What Can Other Companies Learn?

“Nokia lost the smartphone battle despite having half of the global market share in 2007. Some argue that it was down to software, others that it was complacency. We argue that collective emotions within the company were a big part of the story.”

From Jena McGregor: Honeymoon interrupted for GM’s Mary Barra

“Few CEOs would want Mary Barra’s job right now. The company she leads, General Motors, is just five years out from bankruptcy and a government bailout. It is recalling 1.6 million vehicles to fix a faulty ignition switch, a problem the company now says it has known about for more than 10 years. Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have announced plans for hearings. There are reports of a probe by the Justice Department, too. Oh, and she reportedly first learned of the problem after being on the job just a few weeks.”

From The Economist: Ideas reinvenTED

“TED has revolutionised the ideas industry, in part by putting old wine in new bottles.”

From Fortune: IBM’s double dilemma

“Two years into Ginni Rometty’s tenure as CEO, the company faces a double dilemma: Revenue is shrinking while the company is having trouble hitting its ambitious EPS targets.”