3 Michigan leaders in 2023 rose to the top in the minds of their employees

There were 225 companies in three categories that made the winners lists in the 2023 Michigan Top Workplaces competition, and three CEOs were awarded special Leadership Awards. The three CEOs stood out among their peers by receiving the highest scores from their employees who were asked to rate their “confidence in the leader” of their company.  

The Free Press partnered with Philadelphia-based Energage to rank the Top Workplaces in Michigan. The process, based on a scientific survey of employees who rate their workplace culture, also provides insights about what makes each company unique.

Jim Proppe: ‘I’m here to serve the rest of the firm.’

In the large company category, Jim Proppe, managing partner of Plante Moran, received the Leadership Award. However, Proppe says there is one internal company list where his name is far from the top, which explains his leadership approach.  

“I was sharing with somebody our org chart, and I’m at the bottom,” said Proppe, whose company has been a Top Workplace for 14 consecutive years. “The person said this must be upside down, and I said ‘no, it’s not upside down.’ My job is to help the partners, who can then help the staff to serve our clients. I’m here to serve the rest of the firm.”  

Proppe says maintaining the culture at the Southfield-headquartered audit, tax, consulting and wealth management firm  is a “collaborative” process, but he says there is one daily decision that each team member has to make on their own.

“What we have at Plante Moran, and this really came out of the pandemic, is ‘workplace for your day,’ which goes back to individual freedom and empowering people,” Proppe explained. “At our firm we ask people every day to make important decisions when serving our clients, so we said let’s have this be an important decision that each team member makes every day. 

“I can’t tell you how many people have told me that the fact that I get to choose, as opposed to you telling me, makes me want to come into the office, because you’ve shown that you trust me to make the right decision. It’s actually exceeded my expectations in terms of how much in-person work is being done and I’m convinced it’s all because we gave our people the ability to make the choice, as opposed to telling them what to do.” 

Jason Blake: Through trust we ‘improve, innovate and simplify’

The Leadership Award recipient for the midsize company category was Jason Blake, owner and president of The Pond Guy Inc., headquartered in Armada. The Pond Guy is a manufacturing and e-commerce retail company specializing in pond, lake and water garden supplies, whose mission is to “help the world enjoy ponds.” And Blake says his company has created a culture that his nearly 200 employees enjoy by focusing on trust. 

“We work every day to earn the trust of our team, or ‘Tribe,’ as we call it,” said Blake, whose company has been a Top Workplace the past two years. “Trust ensures people are comfortable bringing up new ideas, addressing concerns, and providing feedback. Trust gives our Tribe a voice that is essential and allows us to improve, innovate, and simplify.”  

Blake said a family approach strengthens trust throughout his company.

“We call ourselves a Tribe for a reason, and it’s because we are more like a family where we trust and help one another to reach our goals,” Blake explained. “We don’t shy away from straight talk, which leads to our teams having confidence that we will be open and honest, even with redirecting feedback. Managers connect with their team weekly to ensure goals are clear, resources are available, and feedback is going both ways. And we celebrate successes and growth. Trust in our Tribe fuels our success!” 

Erik Wilson: My rise within the organization is a reflection of our culture

Erik Wilson, the recipient of the Leadership Award in the small company category, is president and co-owner of Bingham Farms-based Optimal Home Care & Hospice. But when Wilson points out the virtues of his organization’s culture, he points to a position he held more than 10 years ago. 

“I started at Optimal Care in 2011 as a field nurse, which I think reflects the culture and growth opportunities offered by our organization,” said Wilson about Optimal Care, which has been a Top Workplace for 10 consecutive years. “I still see patients today — that’s why I went into the field — but my mentor, Coleen Murphy-DeOrsey, trusted me to move up into leadership and I am very thankful to have that opportunity. 

As president, Wilson said that one of his daily objectives is to handle his staff in the same manner that he would like them to handle patients.

“In our business, we are humans taking care of humans,” Wilson stated. “I’m very humbled to lead an excellent group of human beings. And the number one compliment that our leadership can receive from our team is that they feel supported in all aspects of their work. That is a goal we strive for everyday because trust is built over time.”