Here's to a new chapter

The time has arrived. This is my final Plante Moran blog post.As you likely know by now, in July of this year I finished my second four-year term as Plante Moran’s managing partner — a position I was truly honored to have, as I had the opportunity to lead a great firm with fantastic people.

While there are times that I miss serving as the firm’s managing partner, I’m really excited about what this next chapter holds for me, my family, my career, and the firm.

I’m especially excited about my new role at Plante Moran, where I’m focusing not just on growing our firm, but on growing and developing our talented people and helping expand our international practice. These are areas I am passionate about, and I’m honored to have the ability to devote more time to them.

One of Plante Moran’s strengths is that we’ve always had the right leader at the right time, and now is no exception.

I’ve also had a change of scenery. After 37 years of working from Plante Moran’s Southfield, Mich. office, I decided it was time for something new and moved to our office in Downtown Detroit — and I’m loving it. Detroit’s buzz has been growing for several years, and it’s great to be in the heart of it.

As for the firm…well, rest assured, it’s in really great hands. One of Plante Moran’s strengths is that we’ve always had the right leader at the right time, and now is no exception. In fact, Jim Proppe has some pretty exciting ideas for how he’ll share thoughts and lessons.Stay tuned for plans for that in the very near future.

During my 37 years at the firm and eight years as managing partner, I have had great mentors, and I’ve learned a lot of lessons — many of which I’ve shared with you here on my blog. For my final post, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned:

1. Step out of your comfort zone, and take more risks. Each time you do you become more “athletic”, you learn more and gain the ability to do more —  personally and professionally.
2. Be a servant leader. Think about what you can do for others, not what they can do for you.
3. Be a good mentor, but don’t forget to be a good mentee. Never stop listening, accepting feedback, and finding opportunities to learn and grow.
4. Seek diverse points of view. Your decisions will be better, and your life will be richer.  
5. Honesty and Integrity are incredibly important. A solid reputation takes a long time to build but can be destroyed in a heartbeat.
6. It’s OK to make mistakes; they’re the tuition of experience. But, when you do make mistakes, own up to them, get the help you need, and make it right.
7. Be positive — nobody follows a pessimist.
8. Enjoy the journey — it’s as important as the destination.
9. What really matters in life are relationships: family, friends, coworkers, and your community. Don’t lose sight of that.
10. And finally, don’t just embrace change, champion it — it’s coming like never before.

I’d like to conclude by saying thanks. Thanks to those who listened — and especially those who took the time to share. I hope you’ve learned as much from my experiences as I have from yours.For the last time, here’s to you.

Here’s to embracing change and looking forward to the next chapter.