New book charts journey of SMU’s Founding Chairman Ho Kwon Ping

Respect is a fundamental of good leadership, said Mr Kwon Ping, SMU’s Founding Chairman, as well as founder and executive chairman of hotel chain Banyan Tree Holdings.

“You get it in the beginning by appointment. But whether you continue to command that respect – that’s the question.”

Mr Ho is celebrated for his contributions to both academia and business and founded and led SMU as Chairman for 25 years. He was also the Institute of Policy Studies’ first S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore.

For his contributions to Singapore, Mr Ho is among a small group of people to receive both the Meritorious Service Medal and the Distinguished Service Order.

The book, Behind the Banyan: Ho Kwon Ping, which he launched at SMU on 21 May, walks the reader through Mr Ho’s experiences as he steered Banyan Tree through various milestones and challenges – including the recent pandemic when it had to operate with zero occupancy at many of its properties.

Selflessness makes a great leader

In his opening address at the launch, Mr Ho argued that selflessness is crucial for great leadership.

He said that while many, including himself, can be good leaders to varying degrees, he could never be a “great” leader, which requires more selflessness than he is willing to give.

“One of the reasons Lee Kuan Yew was so admired and respected… was that he was selfless,” he said, referring to Singapore’s founding prime minister.

“Whatever he did, whether it was right or wrong... he didn’t do it for himself. He didn’t do it for his ego. He did it for Singapore,” he added.

The danger of falling into mediocracy

Mr Ho also spoke at a fireside chat later at the launch. When asked what advice he had for future generations including his great-grandchildren, he warned about the danger of complacency, hubris and entitlement, given Singapore’s current success.

“I think it’s entirely possible that we’ll become a relatively successful, mediocre city state,” explaining that the mediocrity he refers to is a result of complacency, so you are not aware of your own mediocrity.

"If you know you're mediocre, it in fact spurs you to do different things; but you think you're exceptional, and therefore you don't do anything about it… and you become mediocre. That's the biggest threat."

He added, "I wouldn't want to overdramatise… that Singapore is going to be plunged downhill and everybody's going to be poor and all that. But I think we could become a small little island of smug people thinking that we're so proud of our little red dot and we can… just be mediocre.”

Inspiring the next generation

Mr Ho said that he hopes his book will inspire more stories of local entrepreneurs to come.

“We need more books that are accessible to young start-ups, business owners and so on, where they don’t just hear about how Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos made it in the world,” he said. “The most serious intent of this book is that it can inspire other people to carry on with our own Singapore heritage of talking about entrepreneurship and the lessons from it.”