COMMENTARY: "You start to realise that very often, people want you to talk about it. They just don't know how to broach it." Banyan Tree Holdings co-founder and executive chairman Ho Kwon Ping shares his insights on the art of conversation, especially when it involves difficult and taboo topics like death and suffering. As part of Lessons on Leadership, a series hoping to inspire the next generation of Singaporeans through the stories of Singapore’s many successful business leaders and entrepreneurs, Ho relates his personal life experiences — such as the death of his loved ones — to how it has helped him become a more empathetic leader who is able to connect with others.