Why Promising a Ferrari Often Leads to a Wagon — 7 Business Missteps You Can’t Afford to Make

Imagine this: A customer walks into your office and asks for something extraordinary — a brand-new Ferrari. They want a sleek, high-speed machine, not just any car but a masterpiece of engineering that can go from zero to one hundred miles per hour in just a few seconds. They describe it in vivid detail — the engine roaring with power, the leather seats stitched to perfection, the glossy red paint gleaming in the sunlight. It’s the kind of car that turns heads and leaves everything else in the dust.

As a business leader, you see the potential. You see the excitement in your customer’s eyes, and you confidently say, “We can do that.” You imagine the Ferrari yourself: fast, agile, and equipped with the best features money can buy — precision handling, state-of-the-art technology, everything meticulously designed. You envision the moment the customer takes it out for the first drive, feeling the adrenaline as the car rockets forward.

You’re excited, and so is your team. But as you begin the work, reality sets in. You delegate tasks to different departments. The design team sketches out a rough blueprint, and the engineering team starts piecing things together, but somewhere along the way, things start to fall apart. Communication between teams breaks down. The high-tech parts you need aren’t available, so you make do with what you have. People cut corners because deadlines are tight, and the project becomes more about just getting it done.

Weeks later, what was supposed to be a Ferrari — a marvel of speed and innovation — rolls out of the shop. But it’s not what anyone imagined. It’s a wagon. Slow, cumbersome, and nowhere near what the customer asked for. The vision of that Ferrari, the dream of delivering something world-class, crumbled somewhere between the top-level goals and the reality of execution.

And here’s the thing: I’ve been there. I’ve promised Ferraris and ended up delivering wagons. I’ve seen it in my business, in my leadership roles, and even during my military service. It’s frustrating, but it’s also common. That’s why I’m writing this article — to help you avoid those same mistakes.

Problem 1: Unclear Expectations from Leadership

So, the customer walks in and asks for a Ferrari — a car that’s fast, sleek, and powerful. As a leader, you agree to deliver. Your team is talented, and you trust their expertise to handle the details. You stand in front of them and say, “We need to build a car that goes fast. Really fast.” You don’t tell them how to build it, because that’s not your job. They’re the experts in design, engineering, and mechanics.

But here’s where things start to unravel.

You said “fast,” but what does that mean? Are we talking about acceleration, top speed, or handling? Do you mean fast over long distances or in short bursts? The team is left guessing because the goal of “fast” wasn’t clearly defined. Sure, they know they need to build something fast, but they’re not aligned on how fast or in what way. Some focus on speed, others on aesthetics, and when the pieces finally come together, you don’t get a Ferrari. You get a wagon — a functional vehicle, but nowhere near what the customer wanted.

This happens in business when leadership defines the broad objective (“fast” or “innovate”) but leaves too much room for interpretation. While it’s not the leader’s job to micromanage how something gets done, it is the leader’s job to define what success looks like. If the definition of success isn’t clear, teams may work with their own assumptions and end up delivering something misaligned with the original vision.

As a leader, your role is to paint a clear picture of the destination, even if you’re not in charge of the roadmap. It’s not enough to say, “I want a fast car.” You need to say, “I want a car that goes from zero to sixty in under four seconds.” Define what “fast” means in measurable terms, but let your team figure out how to get there.

One way to do this is by setting SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, instead of saying, “We need to innovate,” say, “We need to reduce our product launch time by 20% in the next quarter.” Then, leave the technical details to the experts, but make sure everyone’s aligned on what success looks like.

I’ve seen this happen in my own work. I’ve been in situations where I thought I was being clear, only to find out later that the team was interpreting the goal in ways I hadn’t expected. We all had the same end in mind, but our definitions of “success” didn’t line up. That’s why I’ve learned to take an extra step in defining what the goal looks like — because when everyone has a shared understanding, execution becomes much smoother.

Problem 2: Poor Communication Between Teams

The team begins working on the Ferrari. The engineers are laser-focused on building an engine that screams power and speed. The design team, meanwhile, is working on the car’s aerodynamics, ensuring it cuts through the air effortlessly. But here’s where things start to fall apart. The engineering team assumes the designers know the exact dimensions for the engine compartment, while the design team assumes the engineers will make the engine fit into their sleek framework. Neither team checks in with the other as often as they should, and by the time they realize their assumptions don’t line up, it’s too late.

The result? The engine doesn’t fit. The entire car design has to be reworked, and in the process, speed and efficiency get sacrificed. The Ferrari dream slips further away, and the end product, once again, looks more like a wagon.

In businesses, teams often work in silos, focusing on their part of the project without fully communicating or collaborating with other departments. Assumptions are made, but without regular and clear communication, teams can end up working in opposite directions, causing misalignments that lead to delays, rework, or even failure.

The solution is to establish regular, structured communication between teams. This doesn’t mean micromanaging, but rather ensuring that all departments are aligned on the big picture and checking in at key milestones. This can take the form of cross-functional team meetings, shared project management tools, or even assigning team liaisons who ensure communication flows freely between different departments.

I’ve seen this firsthand during my military service. In our department, we often had to collaborate with others to achieve larger goals. Sometimes, it wasn’t just about syncing with them for the task at hand, but about understanding what capabilities the entire company could offer. When teams took the time to communicate with us, they gained insights into what we were capable of, which often sparked new ideas and inspired them to think differently about how to achieve their own goals. Regular communication didn’t just prevent misalignment; it also opened up new possibilities for better execution and innovation.

Problem 3: Unrealistic Expectations

The excitement was palpable when you agreed to build the Ferrari. But in the rush to secure the deal, you promised features that were never really feasible. You committed to making the Ferrari not just fast, but affordable, cutting-edge, and ready within a fraction of the normal production time. You figured you could push your team hard enough to deliver everything at once.

But the problem is, no one stopped to ask if these expectations were even realistic. The timeline was too tight, the budget too small, and the resources were stretched thin. As the pressure mounted, compromises were made. Corners were cut. And instead of a Ferrari, what rolled off the production line was a wagon, far from the high-performance machine the customer expected.

In business, this happens when leadership or sales teams overpromise without a clear understanding of the resources or time required to meet those promises. Unrealistic expectations set teams up for failure from the start. Instead of creating an environment for success, they create pressure to deliver the impossible, leading to burnout, missed deadlines, or, worse, a subpar final product.

The solution is to balance ambition with realism. Leadership needs to set challenging but achievable goals and ensure that expectations are grounded in what the team can realistically deliver. This means involving the technical teams early on in the process to assess whether the timelines, budgets, and goals are feasible. It’s about asking, “Can we really build this Ferrari within these constraints?” and adjusting accordingly before committing to a customer.

In my own business experience, I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way. Early on, I would commit to aggressive timelines and grand promises to win over clients. I wanted to show them that we could deliver it all, no matter how difficult. But time and time again, those promises created unnecessary pressure on my team and led to compromises in quality. Over time, I learned that setting realistic expectations from the beginning isn’t about lowering ambition — it’s about making sure you deliver on what you promise, and doing so with excellence.

Problem 4: Lack of Accountability

As the Ferrari project progresses, something becomes increasingly clear — no one feels truly responsible for the final outcome. The design team thinks the engineers are accountable for the speed, while the engineers assume the designers are handling the aerodynamics. The marketing team thinks it’s up to production to manage the timeline, and production assumes the budget falls on the finance department.

In the end, everyone is working in their own lane, but no one is stepping up to own the big picture — the responsibility of delivering the Ferrari. As a result, small issues slip through the cracks. The project gets delayed, and by the time it’s completed, the customer is left staring at a product that’s far from what was promised: a wagon instead of the sleek, fast Ferrari they envisioned.

In business, when there’s no clear accountability, projects easily veer off course. If no one takes full ownership of the outcome, there’s a diffusion of responsibility — people assume someone else will handle the issues. This leads to misalignment, missed deadlines, and ultimately a failed execution. Without a single point of accountability, the project loses its direction.

To avoid this, it’s essential to assign clear ownership for different aspects of a project. This doesn’t mean one person has to do everything, but there should be someone who is ultimately responsible for overseeing the progress and ensuring alignment with the original goal. Whether it’s a project manager or a dedicated leader for the initiative, this person needs to be empowered to make decisions, track progress, and bring issues to the forefront before they become critical problems.

During my military service, I saw firsthand how critical accountability was. When there was a clear chain of command and a specific person responsible for each task, things ran smoothly. But when accountability was unclear, tasks would fall behind, and we’d end up scrambling to fix problems at the last minute. In business, I’ve learned that the same principle applies. You need someone who takes full ownership of the outcome, ensuring that every piece of the puzzle fits together. Without that, projects falter and never live up to their potential.

Problem 5: Insufficient Resources or Expertise

As the team continued building the Ferrari, they hit a major roadblock: they didn’t have the right parts or tools to complete the job. The engine team is missing a key component, the design team doesn’t have access to the materials they envisioned, and the engineering team lacks the expertise to solve a technical issue with the car’s suspension.

Without the right resources, the team starts improvising. They use cheaper materials, compromise on key features, and ultimately, the quality of the final product suffers. What was supposed to be a top-of-the-line Ferrari is now a wagon — slow, clunky, and lacking the high-performance capabilities that were originally promised.

In business, this happens when teams are asked to deliver a high-quality product but don’t have the necessary resources or expertise to do so. Whether it’s a lack of funding, tools, or skilled personnel, these deficiencies force teams to cut corners or deliver below-par work. The result is a compromised final product that doesn’t meet expectations.

The solution is to assess the resources and expertise available from the outset. Before committing to a project, leadership needs to ensure that the right tools, materials, and skills are in place. This may involve investing in new technology, hiring specialized talent, or adjusting the scope of the project to match the resources at hand. Leaders need to be realistic about what their teams can achieve with the tools they have and should provide additional support when necessary.

I’ve experienced this challenge both in business and during my military service. There were times when we were asked to complete a task, but the tools or expertise simply weren’t available. In the military, it was sometimes about working with outdated equipment, and in business, it’s been about navigating budget constraints. I’ve learned that without the right resources, even the most talented teams can’t deliver what’s expected. It’s a leader’s responsibility to ensure their teams are equipped for success.

Problem 6: Inflexible Processes

As the Ferrari project continues, the team encounters unexpected challenges. The engine design doesn’t fit into the chassis as planned, and the materials for the bodywork are delayed. But instead of adapting to these issues, the team sticks rigidly to the original plan. The process is set in stone, and rather than adjusting or finding new solutions, they force the project through the established pipeline.

By the time the project is done, the result is a car that functions poorly and looks nothing like the original vision. Instead of pivoting to address the issues along the way, the team’s inflexible approach led to a final product that didn’t meet the original expectations — a slow, uninspired wagon instead of the Ferrari everyone hoped for.

In business, rigid processes often stifle innovation and flexibility. When teams are bound by inflexible procedures, they struggle to adapt when things don’t go according to plan. This leads to inefficiencies, missed opportunities for improvement, and, ultimately, failure to deliver the intended result.

The key is to create adaptable processes. While having a solid plan is essential, teams need to be empowered to pivot when challenges arise. Encourage flexibility in workflows, so that when unforeseen issues pop up, teams can quickly adjust course. Agile methodologies, for instance, emphasize iterative development and continuous feedback, allowing teams to adapt as the project evolves.

During my military service, I saw the importance of flexibility firsthand. There were times when rigid processes got in the way of solving real problems, and it wasn’t until we found ways to adapt that we could make meaningful progress. In business, I’ve applied the same principle. Sticking to a plan is important, but knowing when to adjust that plan is even more critical for success. Flexibility can be the difference between delivering a successful product and missing the mark completely.

Problem 7: Overcomplication or Scope Creep

As the Ferrari project progresses, something unexpected happens: the original vision starts to expand. One person suggests adding a more luxurious interior. Another thinks it would be great to install a state-of-the-art sound system. Soon, there are discussions about adding a custom paint job, advanced navigation systems, and features that weren’t part of the original plan.

Before long, the project has ballooned into something far more complicated than originally intended. The focus shifts from building a fast, efficient car to adding a host of unnecessary features. The team gets bogged down with these additions, and by the time the car is finished, it’s no longer the sleek Ferrari the customer wanted. Instead, it’s an overstuffed, underperforming wagon weighed down by all the extra features that were never needed in the first place.

In business, scope creep is one of the most common reasons projects fail. When the original goal gets buried under a pile of additional features or tasks, teams lose sight of the main objective. This not only delays delivery but also dilutes the quality of the final product. Overcomplication and added features that don’t serve the core purpose lead to wasted time, and resources, and, often, customer dissatisfaction.

To avoid scope creep, it’s essential to clearly define the project’s goals at the outset and stick to them. This means setting boundaries for what is included in the project and what is not. Leaders should establish checkpoints to ensure that any changes or additions are carefully considered and aligned with the original goal. If a new feature doesn’t contribute to the main objective, it should be removed or deprioritized.

I’ve seen scope creep happen both in my business and during my military service. In the military, projects could become overcomplicated when additional tasks were added unnecessarily, distracting us from the mission at hand. In business, I’ve learned that keeping a project focused on its core goal is critical to success. It’s easy to get excited about adding extra features, but unless they directly contribute to the project’s purpose, they can quickly derail progress.

Conclusion:

Building a Ferrari and ending up with a wagon is a scenario that happens far too often in business. The gap between vision and execution can be traced back to key misalignments and missteps that occur throughout the process. Whether it’s unclear expectations, poor communication between teams, unrealistic goals, lack of accountability, insufficient resources, inflexible processes, or scope creep, each of these problems has the potential to derail even the most promising projects.

But these pitfalls are avoidable. By setting clear, measurable goals from the beginning, ensuring constant communication, balancing ambition with realism, assigning accountability, providing the right resources, encouraging flexibility, and maintaining a sharp focus on the project’s core objectives, you can bridge the gap between what you promise and what you deliver.

I’ve seen these problems in my own experiences, both in business and during my military service. I’ve promised Ferraris and ended up with wagons, but I’ve also learned how to avoid those same mistakes by applying the right strategies and mindset. I hope that through these seven key lessons, you’ll be able to steer your business projects toward success and deliver on the bold promises you make to your customers.

So, the next time you promise a Ferrari, make sure your teams are aligned, your goals are clear, and your execution is on point — because with the right approach, you won’t end up with a wagon.

o.