Leadership From a Cooking Show

I will confess it. My wife and I like to watch the Food Network. Not all of the shows, mind you, but we enjoy some of the "game shows" they offer. We've also gotten into those shows where the star transforms a troubled eatery, trying to make it successful again.

But, in March, the network debuted a new show that takes that latter point to a whole new level. Where Robert Irvine would go into a failing restaurant and try to make wholesale changes to bring it back to profitability, Willie Degal has a different approach.


Degal owns Uncle Jack's Steakhouse in New York City, and knows what it takes to succeed in the business. His new Food Network show, Restaurant Stakeout, works with restaurants that should be succeeding, but for certain reasons are not.

Steakout will go into a struggling restaurant and secretly videotape the business in action. He will pick out the good and the bad, and make recommendations to improve the operation.

One of the subtle things I have noticed from the episodes that have aired so far is the leadership goldmine that this show offers.

Degal knows how to build a successful business. He also knows how to spot and fix problem areas. And, his brutally honest style pulls no punches as he tells the owner where the problems are, and how to fix them.

From this show, you get a glimpse into what makes for good management and employees, and what constitutes bad management and employees. Customer service is a key fixture of Degal's show, but so is proper leadership of the company's employees.

For the leader, there are nuggets in this program that you get to see in practice or needing to be practiced. Its just like getting hands on experience without all the mess being in your lap.