The Drive that matters

Ford vs. Ferrari.

For the last few days my son was insisting that I watch the movie “Ford vs. Ferrari.”

Given the frequency and consistency with which I have been getting speeding tickets, I needed no further inspiration for driving any faster than I already do!

Quite contrary to my own performance on the road, as a responsible father, I take every opportunity to instill in my son the fear of ‘speed.’ So what if he is yet to get his driving license? I try to discourage him from anything that could make him faster than me – movies included :)

However, last weekend I relented to his persistence and ended up watching the movie with him. Little did I know that he had already seen the movie – twice!

Now the movie, which is based on true events, did give the adrenaline rush, as expected.

Being at the intersection of Business and Motor-sport, this movie provided various insights around leadership, decision-making, ownership, innovation, resilience, endurance, risk-taking, preparation, planning, managing conflicts, to name a few. Without getting into the details, I thought of sharing two instances from the movie that resonated with me.

The year was 1965 and after a failed attempt by Ford in the 24 Hour endurance-focused sports car race at Le Mans, France, an interesting conversation ensues between Henry Ford II and Carroll Shelby.

Henry Ford II: "Give me one reason why I don’t fire everyone associated with this abomination, starting with you."

Carroll Shelby (played by Matt Damon): "Well, sir, I was thinking about that very question as I sat out there in your lovely waiting room...I watched that little red folder, right there, go through four pairs of hands before it got to you. Of course, that don’t include the 22 or so other Ford employees who probably poked at it before it made its way up to the 19th floor... With all due respect, sir, you can’t win a race by committee."

One tends to agree that whether it is in the kitchen or in business, too many cooks do spoil the broth. Flattening the decision-making process would produce greater efficiency and accountability. Shelby eventually shortens the feedback loop by insisting he report directly to Henry Ford II.

The movie culminates in the race at Le Mans in 1966, where Miles (played by Christian Bale) creates personal records and eventually slows down in the final lap to ensure Ford has a photo-finish with three Ford cars coming in the top three positions.

While it was expected that Miles would be in the first place, another Ford driver, McLaren, is declared the winner as, having started behind Miles, his car travelled further overall.

Miles is placed second. This was a moment when my heart went out to the deserving winner who misses his trophy.

An unusually sanguine Miles lets it pass, and consoles an agitated Shelby saying, "You promised me the drive, not the win."

Now, this was a profound moment and a personal reminder to me that what matters in the end is the drive.

While the crowd runs to the winner, the camera zooms in on Enzo Ferrari who tips his hat to Miles on the track. That was the salute from the arch-rival to the deserving winner, and that, to me, is the trophy that really matters.

The appearance of Lee Iacocca in the movie reminded me about his biography that I had read many years ago, which I would strongly recommend. For the uninitiated, Lee Iacocca ?is best known for the development of the Ford Mustang, Continental Mark III, and Ford Pinto cars while at the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s, and for reviving the Chrysler Corporation as its CEO during the 1980s.