CEO Michael Dell saw his company slip from its premier position in 2001 and he knew he had to do something.  He had been only 19 when he took $1,000 and started Dell computers from his University of Texas dorm room.  He built the company based on the belief he could provide low-cost, made-to-order computers and sell them directly to consumers, thus cutting overhead costs related to inventory and sales commissions to outside sellers.  The company took off, but in 1991, Dell made a tactical error that could have doomed the company.  He decided to sell some computer at retailers such as CompUSA, Staples, and Sam's Club.  The company realized the mistake before it was too late.  Since then, Dell has not wavered from its model.  But new trouble loomed.  In 2001 the personal computer market collapsed and sales were so sluggish that Dell was forced to lay off 1,700 employees, the first job elimination in its 16-year history.  CEO Dell met with President Kevin Rollins privately that fall to make plans for Dell's comeback.  Based on sales figures, they felt Dell's performance in the marketplace would improve, but their own performance was something else.  Employee interviews showed Dell was seen as emotionally detached and too impersonal, while Rollins was seen as antagonistic and autocratic.  No one felt loyalty to the leaders.  Anger and resentment was building since the first mass firing.  half of the employees said they would quit if they found another job.  Dell and Rollins realized they could not move the company back to its stellar performance without a motivated workforce knew a mass staff exodus would doom them.  If you were Michael Dell, what would you do to ensure your company's comeback?  (Taken from:  Understanding Management, Daft/Marcic)  You will find out in this Leadership Strategy Mastermind Group!