The 23-year-old, who was traded to the Saints along with Hawthorn's first NAB AFL Draft pick for Ben McEvoy last year, struggled to find form early in the year.
It reached a tipping point when he had just eight touches against the Hawks in round seven, in what he described as "a pretty horrible day".
But he said facing his teammates and hearing a blunt assessment of what he needed to work on helped him regain his senior spot in round 14 and hold it ever since.
"It's fair to say I did need a clip and I was taking a bit of time to find my feet at my new club," Savage told SEN on Wednesday morning.
"The leadership group gave me some really good feedback and the main message from them was to come in and believe in yourself.
"That's what I've done and I praise them for doing that because it's really helped me play some good footy."
The Saints reintroduced leadership consultancy group Leading Teams over the summer in a bid to improve their culture following a tumultuous period.
Savage said the session with his teammates had been less of "a bake" and more constructive feedback, and had helped him realise he wasn't adapting to his new surroundings.
"Every Monday we come together as a playing group and we sit in a circle and give each other feedback from the game," he said.
"I got my feedback a couple of months ago and it was really constructive, really positive for me and really helped me get into some good form."
His VFL spell lasted five games, and a strong showing against Collingwood on June 14 saw him recalled to face the Eagles.
He said coach Alan Richardson supported him throughout and helped him settle into a role across half-back on his return.
"It was important for me to get a bit of confidence up and that's all Richo wanted me to do, he wanted me to go back and play some consistent footy and get some belief in myself," he said.
"When I came back into the side, he wanted me to play at half-back and play to my strengths and use my long kick and my speed."
"I think I've done that and it's been good to get some form under my belt."
Settling into the Saints' Seaford base has also presented challenges, with Savage honest in admitting the club's resources don't compare to Hawthorn's.
He said the Saints' facilities were newer but smaller, and they lacked the financial scope to "splash on a few more things around the club".
However, he felt the Saints used what they had as effectively as possible and he hadn't noticed a disadvantage in changing clubs.
Twitter: @AFL_JenPhelan
