Hundreds of Thunderbird MBA candidates crowded into the campus auditorium February 22 to hear Dell Inc. CEO Kevin Rollins, who talked about everything from the computer company's strategy to how he balances his personal and professional life.

Rollins knows where Dell is going in the next five to 10 years because "the seeds of growth of the company are already planted," he said, referring to the company's growing focus on building and selling servers, storage and printers. With Dell holding less than 5 percent in each segment, Rollins sees a bright future in these products.

Dell has succeeded, in part, because of a culture adapts well to a changing market, he said. The company culture has "moved from being built around stock price to a culture of accountability, doing a job well, and reaching one's full potential as a business leader," he said. Employees of Dell are empowered to take responsibility for "owning" their career, he said, which allows them to take fast action in the workplace. The result: a quick response time for which the company is known.

The atmosphere of employee accountability and responsibility influences Dell's outlook on ethics and corporate responsibility, Rollins said.

"Ethics begins with individuals," Rollins said. "Ethical people create ethical companies… not ethical companies create ethical people." Workers are pressed upon to report any violations and that, over time, has created Dell's ethical culture.

A second major cultural shift for Dell has been in moving their employees' mindset from a US-centric one to more of a world view, he said.

With 35% of Dell's business outside of the United States, and an international rate of growth double that in the United States, Rollins said he understands clearly that non-US markets are where future growth will occur. It's been a challenge to get their people to understand this global shift, Rollins acknowledged. Americans tend to be the least flexible with working and living outside their country, he said, but "you can't think that way and be successful."

Thunderbirds are well-positioned to take advantage of growing international opportunities, he said, citing the success of Thunderbird graduate Hiroshi Hamada '91, who heads up Dell's Japan operations.

With a projected growth rate of 20% a year, Rollins tells his workforce that in four years they must double their management capacity, but where those leaders will come from he's not sure. He believes the company's "Tell Dell" internal employee surveying system will help them build their management ranks as employees are encouraged to be critical of underperforming management, who are more readily identified and counseled. Even he and Michael Dell, the company founder and former CEO, share their own Tell Dell scores to encourage their own improvement, Rollins said. Although he's known for his commitment to family and church, Rollins said he doubted he was the best example of how to balance work and home life. There are "periods of priority" in life where focus will shift over time, he said, although you can't under-invest in the long lasting things like your personal life or health.

Throughout his address, Rollins displayed a gentle humor and modesty that reinforced the oft-reported profile of a genuine, likeable business leader.

He said he got to become CEO of Dell by being prepared to take a risk when an opportunity presented itself and by being willing to "dream very big."

Kevin Rollins' visit was sponsored by the Thunderbird LDS Network and the Arizona Management Group, the third largest networking organization in the Phoenix area.