A Good Leader Is ...

When should you hire help? What advice would Adam Savage give to a new leader? What's a good low-cost vacuformer? How do you honor the former owners of old tools you've inherited? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Tested members The Crafty Collector, Dave Yoder, Lo Pro Java and Stinkie Man Cheese, whom we thank for their support. What do you think makes a leader good?

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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman

Thanks for watching!

[tested]

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[SupNukks]

When my grandfather died. I was given his handmade Loom. This video makes me really want to finish the piece he was working on when he died.

[shadowlynx]

This may sound odd, but ... Thank you for leaving in the pauses while you search for the right words or phrases. This makes your videos feel much more like you're talking to your viewers, to me than a perfectly scripted, highly edited piece. What I would add to the passed along tools and knowledge segment is for the older makers and doers to pass along their knowledge now while they're still here. I remember so many things that my dad and my mom taught me from decades ago (I'm 65). Passing along knowledge and skills know how is the ultimate legacy, imo.

[ThePancakeJedi]

I’ve spent 40 years to complete my vintage Kenner Star Wars collection. I have no intention of ever selling it. They were meant to be played with. So that’s what we do, my 6 year old daughter and I.

[movingforwardLDTH]

At our weekly 1:1s, my boss (the CEO) always asks 1) What barriers did you encounter this week?; 2) How can I help overcome them?; 3) Am I doing anything that is making your job harder?; and 4) What do you need from me?

He publicly acknowledges my contributions in front of the entire team and even to our Board of Directors —for an executive assistant, that is SO rare, the norm is that admin people are invisible— and readily admits when he has made a mistake.

I’ve worked for some great executives and for some credit-grabbing, disrespectful, and even unhinged ones. Odds are good that this will be my final organization before retirement, and I’m thrilled that I’ve lucked out with a terrific leader. (Fingers crossed that he doesn’t decide to move on to another opportunity!)

[wandlbaker]

I spent 20 years as an enlisted person in the U S Air Force and the one thing that would ALWAYS impress me with a higher rank person? They would never make you do something they themselves would not be willing to do. (edit) AND if they were willing and able to accept YOUR input if you have an idea for a different process or procedure.

[MTimWeaver]

I've only had one supervisor that offered positive feedback. It was useful, it was timely, and it was encouraging. And he's 20 years younger than I. I really miss working with/for him.

[jimruddy]

Long ago my mentor gave me some great advice about delegation, delegate some of your work to co-workers, they may fail but will learn a great deal in fixing it. So it helped me get out of the mode of "If you want it done right, you must do it yourself" and into a mentoring mode myself and left me more time to work on some things. Love the idea that "tools are meant to be used". it is a great emotional experience to use a tool from my Grandfather or my Dad.

[robo]

When my grandfather died my dad gave me a call and said you better get over here quick before your uncle (my mom's brother) sells all his tools. I went over that afternoon and started taking some. My uncle got upset because he just wanted to make a quick buck, yes he was experiencing financial difficulties, but I told him I think Papa (what we called my grandfather) would want us USE these tools to make money for our families into the future rather than just make a couple of dollars once. I still have many of those tools, and use them at work, ten years later. Several of them made my co-workers jealous because they are old specialty tools that are no longer made and they make certain jobs so much easier.

[blackmage]

A good leader trusts those who work under them and inspires them to bring out the best versions of themselves. They are also empathetic, aware, and respectful of the needs of those working under them, and treat them as team members rather than subjects. And when things go poorly, they take the hit for the whole team.
Perfect example: when Nintendo was struggling, their CEO took a pay cut so the company could continue to pay its employees.

[ElChris]

I agree with Adam's point of giving employees feedback often. It the career I work in, it's fast paced and the feedback only comes in criticisms. I can appreciate the criticisms, but when that is the only thing you get it can weigh heavy on a person at work. There needs to be an awareness of giving praise as well. Even if it's a simple "you did good" often.

[vidulakopli]

I grew up seeing you and Jamie Hyneman on screen together, which made me feel comfortable with all the crazy stuff happening on Mythbusters, even with the… unusual amount of explosions and bullets they put on that show which I was never really interested in.

I tuned in to see your dynamic - I was fascinated by how different you guys were, always pushing on each other, but how you both genuinely wanted to nail down the truth on things, so you worked towards each other’s strengths and assisted each other to get things done.

My whole college experience was people always thinking working together is splitting things up 50-50, and it really frustrated me because I expected so much more, and I knew it wasn’t just some gods that have forgotten me that know about real teamwork, because I saw it myself with you guys!

So I guess what I’m saying is thanks! Don’t worry about the bonuses and corporate drama (I mean, you should get paid well, but it looks like we’re in a world where the best people are treated well outwardly, but are individually isolated and taken out behind the scenes).

[DrVenture]

I've experienced the best and worst (even ugly) in leaders, but observing years of do's and don'ts gave me guidance when it came my turn.

[ryanjohnson]

Funny to hear a heartfelt serious story from a username like "Stinkymancheese".

[gallimead]

I'm in a position of being a team leader. And all the issues that Adam describes.. are the exact ones I have. You are in the middle of headaches above and below. It's not easy. Thanks Adam.

[rich]

I have always felt like I was a terrible leader, but I am good at being the captains number one, if you get the star trek reference. I am too hyper aware of everything that can go wrong with any decision that the stress of that decision making makes me shut down inside. Not only that, but I find it difficult to relegate tasks I am responsible for onto someone else, especially difficult tasks. But if someone else carries the burden of all that, I am great at looking at the big picture and helping get those decisions over the finish line. I don't think everyone needs to be a good leader, there can only be one, and in my opinion, it's not the best job.

[samanthanor]

I love that. If the company is doing well every one should be given some of that.

[ArtCOOL]

My friend, a disabled person of group 1, also had a father who died and left a lot of very old tools in the garage, but they can be used. I motivated him to get out of depression and stop drinking alcohol. Him I managed to quit drinking and start making saps and people started buying them. And this makes me happy. Since I used you as an example of how you found a way to do anything from a small number of tools.

[aikumaDK]

Regarding the 'no assistant on no-meeting days, because getting into the flow' thing, I think it comes down to "This change doesn't work for me, so let's scrap it" or "I have to adapt, to make this change work" and that it's something that would require a trial period for the change.

[QuestionMan]

I had a department head early in my career (training in fact), who EXCELLED at mentorship and personal interest and protecting his team, inculcated this maxim in all of our training and lived by it:
"Treat the people right, and the work will get done." It has served me well in my own leadership roles. I live by that.