Have you ever heard of the 'Two beers and a puppy test'? 🍻 🐶 Me neither, until recently when I read Ross McCammon's simple method, but I think it is genius and a great simple judge of character. So as it goes, ask yourself two questions:1. Would I want to have two beers with this person? (substitute for drink of choice if necessary)2. Would I trust them to look after my puppy for a weekend?In life you meet people who are no beers and no puppy (to be avoided at all costs), sometimes no beers and a puppy (You don’t really enjoy spending time with this person, but you think they’re trustworthy.) all the beers and no puppy (great fun to be around but should be cautiously trusted) and finally all the beers and a litter of puppies, these people are said to be wonderful people and your life and work are better for having them around. Seek them out, collaborate with them, enjoy their company.Ever since, my mantra has been to achieve beer and puppy status, as well as surround myself with beer and puppy kind of people.I think back to my time in the Royal Navy and this shaped my own views on how to lead and manage teams, as well as how to be an effective and trustworthy team member. I value the importance of resilience, versatility and reliability but I think it is vitally important to marry these up with the softer skills of approachability, emotional intelligence and effective communication. This creates super teams!When I left the military I was hit by imposter syndrome for a short while, the institutionalised environment makes you question what you have to offer in the civilian world, but fast forward to present day and we have built a commercial intelligence team from the ground up that underwent a successful due diligence for acquisition in 2023. This continues to grow within Roke Intelligence where we are dedicated to delivering unparalleled intelligence tradecraft using cutting-edge technology.I appreciate the connection. I hope I will be kept in mind for a shout of a beer or doggy day care some time!📌𝙆𝙚𝙮 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨: Strategic Leadership, People Management, Intelligence Analysis, Maritime Security, Risk Management, Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement and Budgetary Control.📌 𝗠𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:- Proven strategic leader with the ability to prioritise and deliver against organisational goals.- Proven experience in leading teams of a specialised and non-specialised nature.- Key motivator and driver of organisation philosophy and culture.