--- title: "Episode 65: Finishing Well & Phobic Fears" description: In this episode, Steve Woodworth, CEO of Masterworks, shares the data points and discoveries that fueled his deep commitment to finish well—against the obvious odds. Steve has seen, he’s studied, he’s now stewarding his own leadership transition alongside his successor, and he’s at work writing a book—sharing wisdom and insights of experienced leaders—to serve and inspire others in the commitment to finish well. image: https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hubfs/021423%20-%20Steve%20Woodworth%20-%20Blog%20Post%20Header-1.png --- ![www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI Logo (New)DGI Logo - Landscape-1](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png?width=200&height=93&name=www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png) ![www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI Logo (New)DGI Logo - Landscape-1](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png?width=200&height=93&name=www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png) ![www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI Logo (New)DGI Logo - Landscape-1](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png?width=200&height=93&name=www.designgroupinternational.comhs-fshubfs_DGI%20Logo%20(New)DGI%20Logo%20-%20Landscape-1.png) - [ABOUT US ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/javascript;) - What is Process Consulting? - [MEET US ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/javascript;) - Areas of Specialty - Meet Our Process Consultants - Meet our Partners and Senior Consultants - Meet our Consultants - [Maestro-level leaders](https://www.maestrosuiteadvisors.com/) - [Society for Process Consulting](https://www.maestrosuiteadvisors.com/) - [Culture Change Leadership](https://www.acausegreater.org/) - [BE A CONSULTANT ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/javascript;) - Explore Process Consulting - Community of Practice - Shared Platform - [BE CREDENTIALED](https://linktr.ee/MaestroSuiteAdvisors) - [RESOURCES ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/javascript;) - Blog Library - Books - Podcasts - Cohorts - Case Studies - [ABOUT US ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/javascript;) - What is Process Consulting? - [MEET US ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/javascript;) - Areas of Specialty - Meet Our Process Consultants - Meet our Partners and Senior Consultants - Meet our Consultants - [Maestro-level leaders](https://www.maestrosuiteadvisors.com/) - [Society for Process Consulting](https://www.maestrosuiteadvisors.com/) - [Culture Change Leadership](https://www.acausegreater.org/) - [BE A CONSULTANT ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/javascript;) - Explore Process Consulting - Community of Practice - Shared Platform - [BE CREDENTIALED](https://linktr.ee/MaestroSuiteAdvisors) - [RESOURCES ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/javascript;) - Blog Library - Books - Podcasts - Cohorts - Case Studies Get Started # Episode 65: Finishing Well & Phobic Fears ![Kristin Evenson](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hubfs/Kristin%20Evenson.jpeg) by [Kristin Evenson](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/author/kristin-evenson) February 14, 2023 ![021423 - Steve Woodworth - Blog Post Header-1](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/021423%20-%20Steve%20Woodworth%20-%20Blog%20Post%20Header-1.png?width=530&height=298&name=021423%20-%20Steve%20Woodworth%20-%20Blog%20Post%20Header-1.png) Finishing Well & Phobic Fears [Episode #65 of the Third Turn Podcast with Steve Woodworth](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/draft/AgFzXY3kAhODMAAAAYZN8p5rQJYF9gqyy_cx12SPUOiHLPTaUn6w-JmVL6fxSR866tBR5ZI) Our guest [Steve Woodworth—CEO of Masterworks](https://masterworks.agency/leadership/steve-woodworth/)—is deeply committed to finishing well, after 30 years of examples he’s seen and things he’s studied. Steve has seen far more and far too many leadership transitions gone wrong.  Leaders whose transitions blew up their legacy.  Some whose organizations ultimately went out of business. Other leaders who have turned against the organization they spent their life building. Steve’s seen some things and he’s studied.  He quotes research by [Bobby Clinton](https://bobbyclinton.com/), a former professor of leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary, which found that roughly 2/3 of leaders don’t finish well—a sad stat Clinton saw mirrored among leaders in scripture as well. All this has prompted Steve to get very practical about the landmines and temptations, and how to navigate them: - The rampant assumptions people bring to the table around leadership transition - Historical and increasingly artificial constructs around age - Lack of open communication - Conventional wisdom of “find your successor and get out of the way” - Phobic fears that naturally arise as a longstanding leader peers into the mist of a future they can’t yet clearly see. Now walking alongside his own successor in leading the organization, Steve shares with us very honestly and personally about his own experience of these things—right in the throes of it all.  Rare are such rich opportunities. So Steve’s seen, studied, and is now stewarding his own transition, as well as writing a book to help serve other leaders and organizations.  Seeing, studying, stewarding, and serving others that follow—a deep commitment to and beautiful example of what it looks like to finish well.   Additional Resources: Steve is reading two books he’s enjoying: - [Truman by David McCullough](https://www.amazon.com/Truman-David-McCullough-audiobook/dp/B004W25JOY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UP2LWM1GHBYV&keywords=truman+david+mccullough&qid=1675197446&sprefix=truman%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-1) - [Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith, Paul Hecht](https://www.amazon.com/Eisenhower-in-War-and-Peace-audiobook/dp/B007BJUIL4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37XQJUGAC9DRV&keywords=eisenhower&qid=1675197526&s=audible&sprefix=eisenhower%2Caudible%2C97&sr=1-1)   Listen to the Episode Now:  Or Listen on your Favorite Platform: [![Spotify](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/spotify-icon-green-logo-8.png?width=25&name=spotify-icon-green-logo-8.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/1AA0Ddsaplyjsriqtsi8G2)[ ![Apple Podcast](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Apple%20Podcast.jpg?width=25&name=Apple%20Podcast.jpg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-third-turn/id1531836413)[ ![Google Podcasts](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Google%20Podcasts.png?width=25&name=Google%20Podcasts.png) ](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yY2YyM2NlMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==)[ ![Pandora](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pandora.png?width=25&name=Pandora.png)  ](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-3rd-turn/PC:43267)[![Anchor FM](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/anchor.png?width=25&name=anchor.png)](https://anchor.fm/thethirdturn) ![Kristin Evenson](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kristin%20Evenson.jpeg?width=123&height=123&name=Kristin%20Evenson.jpeg) ![Kristin - Signature Final](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kristin%20-%20Signature%20Final.png?width=85&height=37&name=Kristin%20-%20Signature%20Final.png)   [- Kristin Evenson](https://www.junctures.net/)   *[![Want to Subscribe? 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The [Third Turn Podcast](http://www.thirdturnpodcast.com/) is part of the [Maestro-level leaders](http://www.maestrolevelleaders.com/) initiative, a production of [Design Group International](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/). [Strategically Connected](https://www.strategically-connected.com/)'s Jennifer Miller is the producer. ###### Tags: [leaders, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/topic/leaders) [The Third Turn, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/topic/the-third-turn) [The Third Turn Podcast, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/topic/the-third-turn-podcast) [Third Turn Blog, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/topic/third-turn-blog) [Transition, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/topic/transition) [Succession, ](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/topic/succession) [successor](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/topic/successor) ![Kristin Evenson](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/hubfs/Kristin%20Evenson.jpeg) Post by [Kristin Evenson](https://www.designgroupinternational.com/mark-l-vincent-blog/author/kristin-evenson) February 14, 2023 Kristin serves as a Consultant and Coach to leaders, teams, and boards by helping them leverage their unique brand of significance in context of: - Strategic junctures--Helping leaders and teams identify what can’t change and what must; - Leadership & life challenges—Helping leaders support, sustain and strengthen their soul in leadership; - Career change & transition—Helping them think creatively and courageously about what’s next. Kristin spent 20 years with Fallon Worldwide, leading brand and communications strategy development for clients across a variety of industries—including Nordstrom, Holiday Inn Express, and Children’s Defense Fund. Her career journey since has included stints as marketing/strategy director and consultant to companies, nonprofits and ministries in the areas of strategy, culture, communications and board governance. Her teams’ work won multiple national effectiveness awards, and her consulting work resulted in a “Best Practice in People/Workplace” by Upsize Magazine. Having completed NeuroLeadership Institute’s Brain-Based Coaching Program, Kristin incorporates brain-based principles into change initiatives for organizations, teams, and individuals. She and her husband Jeff Rosell have four awesome adult sons and host an international daughter, originally from South Sudan. 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