Ho Kwon Ping tells why he is a good leader, but not a great one

Much more selflessness needed to be a great leader, says the rebel-turned-businessman

- Chin Soo Fang

Respect it is what a good leader must earn, and this is a fundamental point for Singapore's political leadership, said Mr Ho Kwon Ping, founder and executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings.

"You get it in the beginning by appointment, as I got it, as a minister would get it. But whether you continue to command that respect - that's the question," said the 72-year-old in a new book about him, Behind The Banyan: Ho Kwon Ping On Building A Global Brand.

"Your employees will always say you have it because they're your employees. And for ministers, citizens will always respect them because of their office," he added.

"We're all very polite people in Asia. We're not going to rail against our leaders. But (do) we really respect them?" This and other meditations on leadership and entrepreneurship are distilled in the latest book on the rebel-turned-businessman, written over three years, starting from the Covid-19 pandemic, by author Aaron Low, 44, a partner of content and communications agency The Nutgraf.

"What I guess drives me is a sense that we're not on this earth to waste time, or just sleepwalking through life," he said at the launch of the 288-page book at the SingaManagement University pore (SMU) on May 21, which coincided with the 47th wedding anniversary of Mr Ho and his wife, Ms Claire Chiang.

He famously turned down a $1.6 billion offer from an American private equity firm in 2006 to buy him out. He felt that it was more important to create something lasting and leave a positive impact on the community.