Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publications, 2021
Case 3.3: Andy’s Recipe
Case Synopsis and Analysis
Andy Garafallo has owned a successful Italian restaurant for the last 25 years. His restaurant
is steeped in tradition, and he does not “try different fads to get people to come.” Rather, he
believes that people come to his business because they know they will get great food.
Three managers at the restaurant, Kelly, Danielle, and Patrick, each possess different
strengths and weaknesses. Kelly, the kitchen manager, has difficulty getting along with
workers outside of the kitchen but is committed, honest, and passionate about her work in the
kitchen. Danielle works in the front and has excellent people skills that help with customer
Learning Objectives:
• Students should be able to analyze an individual’s skills and deficiencies under
the Skills Model.
Answers to Questions in the Text:
1. What accounts for Andy’s success in the restaurant business?
Andy’s success seems to be due to his great food, reputation, and attention to
customer service. He has strong technical and human skills that contribute to his
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publications, 2021
2. From a skills perspective, how would you describe the three managers, Kelly,
Danielle, and Patrick? What does each of them need to do to improve his or her
skills?
Kelly has strong technical skills in the kitchen but seems to lack human skills with
other employees. As a middle manager, she needs to have high levels of human skills.
3. How would you describe Andy’s competencies? Does Andy’s leadership suggest that
one does not need all three skills to be effective?
Andy has many of the individual traits of a leader, including commitment,
intelligence, motivation, and personality. He also seems to have many of the skill
competencies of a leader, including social judgment skills and knowledge of the
restaurant industry.
Northouse, Leadership 9e
SAGE Publications, 2021
Potential Teaching Approaches:
This case study is conducive to group discussions and exercises.
Below is a way to structure a class based on the skills approach and Case Study 3.3:
• Have students create a list of important skills for leadership, based on their own
experiences.
Exercises for This Case Study:
1. Role-Play in pairs: One student is Andy and another is a leadership coach. The coach
2. Small-group work: Tell students that Andy is planning to retire in 3 years. He must
select a new CEO from among Danielle, Kelly, and Patrick. Whom should he choose?
3. Visualize two futures for Andy and his business in 200–250 words. The first future,
nothing changes and Andy continues to rely on the help of his staff. What might
happen to Andy in 7 years? How can he continue on this path? The second, imagine a