Deepak Ohri-Book Review-A Bridge Not Too Far

 Dare to Fail

A trip to Thailand and curiosity about a MadCat who had not only succeeded in his career but had documented that rise to success for the generations to come led me to download the book, A Bridge Not Too Far, Where Creativity Meets Innovation, on my trusted Kindle.

A Bridge Not Too Far is the story of a young boy who grew up in the lower middle-class side of Delhi’s Tagore Garden and had the temerity to ask “Why can’t I cross the road?”  “Why don’t we have a big house like our neighbour, Mr Pathak?”  It is the story of the boy who was enthralled by Mr Pathak’s son’s experiences in a foreign land – the food, the travel by plane, the foreign currency, and the fact that one note of that foreign currency could get more than a dozen notes of Indian currency...  It is the story of the boy who savoured every drop of the icy Coca-Cola that Mr Pathak gave him because it was an expensive foreign drink that no one from his side of the road had ever had the chance to drink.  It is the story of Deepak Ohri from the IHM Madras batch of 1988, a man who is the undoubted prince of luxury hospitality in Asia today.

This is a story that could have easily gone wrong, the lure of riches could have easily led astray the young boy, but it was his father who kept him grounded, a father whom he admired for his sacrifices to make the world a better place for his family.  Deepak’s moral compass was and is his father’s advice to “never forget your roots”.

While A Bridge could be badged a memoir, Deepak turns it into a management textbook, by interspersing his life experiences with lessons that he has learnt along the way.  The 160+ page book is written in chronological order, but to me, there are three significant parts.

The story of Deepak’s personal growth

Deepak’s growth was by no means linear.  He went from being the boy who envied Mr Pathak’s son to moving to Bombay because it was the “gateway to the world...”  That was his first foray into the world of luxury and from there he moved to Singapore so he could “experience new places... learn more about the world... explore the hospitality industry in other countries”.  Here he acknowledges the gap in his Indian education and his move to an environment where everything was new, from his plane journey to the cultural environment.  He confesses his lack of skills in the English language and the polish to make it big.  The turning point in his life was when an application for a dream job as a restaurant manager at a 5-star hotel went pear shaped and he was asked to become a waiter instead. He then vowed that he would be successful in the international arena of hospitality. 

Fast forward a few years, and a failed attempt at entrepreneurship made him realise the value in the adage “Failure is the best teacher”.  He picked himself up admirably and a few more years and many successes later, became a man who could say “I respect and appreciate public opinion, but I am not afraid of it”.  At some point, he also realizes that he did not need to be a know it all and “When we are able to admit we are ignorant, that's when the learning begins”.  Having proven himself in the world of luxury and hospitality, Deepak says his focus is now to make an impact by educating the next generation of leaders in luxury.

Defining Luxury in Hospitality

When Deepak set up the Sirocco in the Dome at the State Tower in Bangkok, a space that had been rejected by many well-known operators, including the chain that operated the hotel at the State Tower itself, he was setting himself up for the next two decades of his life, a life dedicated to defining luxury.  Sirocco was a fine dining establishment, it was lavish, a trendsetter in rooftop dining.  It was then that he realized that good food and a great restaurant did not define luxury and put in the effort to create a soulful experience, something that would create an emotional connect with the customer.  The Million Baht Dinner was the culmination of his belief that “life’s truest luxuries are built around perfect moments of sensory experience, not monetary value”.  Deepak took luxury to the next level with Mezzaluna, which holds two Michelin Stars.  Taking over the hotel at the State Tower and converting it to Lebua, an All-Suite hotel and then creating Chef Table, another Michelin starred restaurant, cemented his place as the reigning prince of luxury in Bangkok, nay Asia.  

Again, his quest for presenting the world with luxury was not linear – he has had spectacular failures as he has had tremendous successes.  “We must not presume that experience and knowledge guarantee an outcome of success or victory”, he says.  

Deepak’s primary purpose in writing this book is as a teaching tool for students who are interested in developing luxury concepts.  Through the Luxury Incubator Project (an MBA course that he helped create at the Florida International University) and the Ohri Luxury Index (a tool which provides quantitative and qualitative analysis to evaluate what a customer wants), Deepak hopes he can inspire and teach the younger generation to develop luxury experiences, just as he has done with his hotels and restaurants.

Leadership Lessons

A Bridge Not Too Far also offers a peek into the lessons Deepak learnt that have helped bring him this far.  “Loyalty builds trust” was a lesson he learnt from his first boss at ITDC.  “Self-respect comes from respecting others” was something he imbibed from his mentor in America.  “When we listen, we learn” something he realized from an interaction with a senior leader, a guest at Sirocco.  

A common theme that runs through the book is the ability to try, fail and rise like the phoenix.  “By trying and failing, one becomes better”, is his staunch advice.  This and many more nuggets of management wisdom are what you will find in the book.

***

A Bridge Not Too Far is a true story from the heart of a man who is touted as a visionary hotelier.  It is a necessary book in the library of any institute of higher education and a must read, whether you’re a reader looking for a feel-good rags to riches story or a student wanting to step foot into the world of luxury hospitality or just someone seeking to be a better leader.

- Review by Parvathi Muthiah, Class of 1994