The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

#311: Adam Savage

Full show notes can be found at www.LearningLeader.com

Adam Savage was the co-host and Executive Producer of the hit show, MythBusters on the Discovery Channel. Fourteen years, 1,015 myths, 2,950 experiments, eight Emmy nominations and 83 miles of duct tape later, the series ended in March 2016.

He is the author of Every Tool's a Hammer - Life Is What You Make It.

Be part of "Mindful Monday" -- Text LEARNERS to 44222

Notes

Leaders who sustain excellence =
- "Obsession is the gravity of making"
- Obsession towards the project -- A "desire to see the thing they made to your satisfaction."
Adam on failure:
- "I don't trust people who haven't failed."
What it means to be a great boss?
- Give great opportunities... "The time, the facilities, reason, and logic."
- "Hey, you're doing great." Let employees have the space they need.
- "There's nothing better than when someone leading a team project can just run with it."
- "Give total autonomy with narrow bandwidth. Give ownership."
Being a generalist -- "The specialist wasn't always helpful because answers are within the context of a wider story."
It's very damaging to ask a nine year old what they want to be when they grow up:
- "Excellence --> The things we cannot stop thinking about." That's what we should strive to be when we grow up. Someone who pursues their curiosity and obsessions with great rigor.
The WHO
- "I think about my relationships all the time." The people you consciously choose to have in your life are everything
- "Am I serving those relationships? Am I being present and non-judgmental with them? Am I with them in the room?"
Stop getting mad at customer service -- It's not their fault. And you'll feel better about yourself.
Adam on his preparation process for a big speech:
- It depends on the engagement, but it's extensive.
- There are 2 specifics:
  - Record yourself and listen to it -- "It illuminates where you're not hitting your mark. It's the transitions typically. How you link them together as a narrative whole."
  - Memorize conceptually -- Practice, practice practice. Get the reps.
Communication as a leader -- "Story is completely vital to leadership in every way."
- "Language was invented to tell stories."
- Pay attention to how they people who move you tell stories
How playing quarterback is similar to a work of art
- There is always something changing -- You must adjust on the fly

311: Adam Savage - Life Lessons From A Master Maker

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

311: Adam Savage - Life Lessons From A Master Maker