Ford vs Ferrari- A Lesson in Perfectionism

I’ve never been much of a Motorsport fan but I can’t help but have immense respect for those who have made a living out of driving at such breathtakingly fast speeds, under so much pressure, knowing that the smallest mistake could cost them their lives. Some say that this type of behaviour is reckless and irresponsible. Some say that these individuals are just a bit mad. What we know is that as long as these unique competitors are around, we’re blessed to see the incredible limits to which the human body and mind can be pushed. This inspires us and reminds us that life is best lived far outside one’s comfort zone, and that what makes being human so special is our innate desire to explore further, climb higher, and go faster despite how loudly our limbic systems tell us to slow down and stay safe.

These individuals are so brilliantly portrayed in Ford vs Ferrari by Matt Damon (Carol Shelby) and Christian Bale (Ken Miles). What stood out to me from their performances was their ability to convey healthy perfectionism as opposed to the unhealthy perfectionism we see in sports regularly. Unhealthy perfectionism is the perspective that is obsessed with achieving the perfect result immediately regardless of how much preparation was done or by the skill level of the competitor. Athletes who have this perspective are easily angered in training or in competition because they couldn’t perform a new skill right away or because they didn’t win. These individuals likely hold one or more of the following irrational beliefs about themselves: They are perfect at their sport, they expect perfection from themselves all the time, and/or they expect perfection from those around them. All three of these beliefs are unhealthy because they discourage a reliance on continuous development through hard work and personal responsibility and encourage reliance on natural talent for performance.

Ken Miles: The Healthy Perfectionist

Part of what made me fall in love with Miles’ character was his healthy perfectionism. Healthy perfectionism is the belief that perfection is unattainable, while striving constantly to get as close to that standard as possible. We see this throughout the film as Miles finds immense joy through testing Ford’s new Le Mans racing car repeatedly, nitpicking anything big or small that could be changed to improve the car’s performance. He ruthlessly obsesses over getting himself and the car optimally ready so that together they can dominate the big race in France. This is because if there’s anything in its development that can be done better, it should be done without question.

In a memorable scene, he explains to his son that the “perfect lap” is out there somewhere. He explains that the perfect lap is built on a combination of every gear change and every corner. Every practice lap he takes is an attempt to get him as close to that standard as possible. In my opinion, this perspective of long-term improvement is one of the key factors in his driving success. Yes, he is talented and deeply passionate about his sport, but instead of relying on these traits to help him succeed or keep him fulfilled, he uses them to constantly fuel his progress. During the Ford GT40’s development, he knew that the best way to be competitive against Ferrari, was to first compete against his high, yet realistic performance standards.

Shelby vs Ford: Differing Ideas of Excellence

There are times in the film in which Shelby is portrayed as a neurotic daredevil, for example when he drives recklessly through the suburbs or when he impulsively takes the wheel of an aeroplane in mid-flight. When dealing with Ford’s racing team though, he is analytical, well-organised, and disciplined. He recruits the best staff and drivers to ensure the best chance of success at Le Mans. He shows compassion and respect for his team throughout most of the film, and to him, excellence is defined as winning at Le Mans and beating Ferrari.

Excellence looks different in the eyes of the executives in charge of Ford though. Henry Ford II seems mostly concerned with beating Ferrari because he was embarrassed and personally insulted by its owner, Enzo Ferrari. In contrast to Shelby and Miles’ relentless pursuit of excellence, his motives are not only to improve his company’s image, but to save face and preserve his ego. Ford’s PR specialist, Leo Beebe is portrayed as a cunning antagonist. To him, excellence is also ego driven and his methods to take as much undue credit as possible are sinister. These executives try to impose low-risk systems and have goals not in line with what is required to build a successful racing team. These actions also contribute to Ken Miles falling short of the 24-Hour of Le Mans Championship.

What can we Learn from Ford vs Ferrari?

An organisation cannot achieve optimally if its members have differing definitions of excellence nor if they have conflicting goals. Ownership and business executives meddling with the successful operations of a sports organisation is not unique to this film. Its prevalent in different professional sports across the world. Owners of top football clubs allegedly prevent their coaches from signing key players for example. This kind of interference can also be seen in the first episode of Netflix’s The Last Dance which highlights how Chicago Bulls executives forced Phil Jackson to leave the team despite his intentions to build on the success he achieved as their coach.

It’s obvious to me that the success of a sports organisation is not determined solely by the skill of the athletes, the wisdom of the coach, the wealth of its owners, or the board of directors. Success by a sporting organisation is most likely achieved through mature leadership, a shared definition of excellence, constant communication, and mutual respect for all parties involved. With everybody from the owner of the team to the janitor sweeping the change-room on the same page, and with them all pursuing perfection appropriately, an organisation can achieve great things.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If there’s anything from the article that you’d like to discuss, or if your have suggestions about future articles, please feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you.

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Dave Roebuck