Succession, Legacy, & the Next Generation: A Conversation with Steve Woodworth
Many leaders build for today. Strategic leaders build for tomorrow.
Steve Woodworth is one of those rare leaders who’s spent his life focused on legacy—measuring success not just by what happens during his time, but by what’s made possible for those who come after.
“Did I set the organization up for the next generation to do even more than what we've done in my generation of leadership?”—Steve Woodworth
Steve is a longtime leader in faith-based nonprofit marketing and organizational development. From early innovation at World Vision to building Masterworks, he has spent his career helping nonprofits create deep, meaningful, and sustainable impact.
Most recently, he is also the author of Lost in Transition: Lessons from the Most Disastrous and Successful Ministry Successions.
Today, Steve is navigating a pivotal succession at Masterworks, gradually moving from his position as CEO to an advisory role.
In this conversation, he shares:
- Timeless principles for nonprofit marketing (many of which he learned while running cable TV programs for World Vision in the ‘80s!)
- How he’s navigated a years-long succession process in Masterworks
- Why a “toe in the water” testing method is strategic for nonprofits
- How he schedules time for mentorship of his team
Steve is a leader with decades of wisdom to share around leadership and innovation. I (Ted) was honored to hear a portion of that wisdom in this episode.
Links
- Masterworks
- Get Steve’s Book: 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴
Key Takeaways
- Practice holy ambition. Carry the conviction to do what’s right, and always remember to take care of the people around you along the way. Uplifting your teammates and fellow leaders creates far greater impact for your mission than only looking out for yourself.
- Innovate strategically. Innovation doesn’t always require a ton of money and it doesn’t need to be extravagant. Start small, stay resourceful, and follow what works. Like Steve’s “toe in the water” method, smart innovation is about testing ideas you believe in and expanding your investments in the areas you’re seeing succeed.
- In leadership successions, replace ego with humility. Whether you’re the outgoing or incoming leader, learn from your counterpart with an open mind, communicate honestly, and remember that your lifetime impact is measured by what continues to grow after you’re gone.
Meet the Guest
With over forty years devoted to advancing Christian organizations, Steve Woodworth brings a wealth of expertise in marketing, management, and organizational development. He steered World Vision’s direct marketing and donor services through a decade of annual double-digit growth in the 1980s and 1990s.
Since joining Masterworks in 1992, Steve has been instrumental in establishing it as the premier marketing agency dedicated to aiding hundreds of Christian organizations in achieving their mission.
Steve also gives back as a volunteer on boards and he continues to lead the Communications Working Group for The Lausanne Movement.
