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Follow
the
Leader
By Talbot Boggs
On the surface, the Canadian military and the retail business don't seem to have much in common. But for William Speake, eight years in the military gave him the discipline and leadership skills that have helped him make a success of The Art of Working, a retail business in Oakville, Ontario, that designs and installs customized home offices and small commercial offices.
"A leader needs to have a vision and then must communicate it," says Speake, who began the business in 1994 with his partner, Susan, from their home. "You have to continually remind everyone within the organization what you are trying to achieve."
Patrick O'Neill of Extraordinary Conversations, a Toronto-based management consulting firm that has conducted leadership training programs for retailers such as HMV and The Disney Store, agrees. "In the retail environment it's  Page Two
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