From 1983 through 1989, over 1,500 leveraged buy outs (LBOs) occurred in North America. In each case, public firms became private through borrowing cash to purchase all existing stock. Cash flow to cover the debt became a primary business challenge for all LBO firms. To cover the debt, many LBOs engaged in strategic initiatives focused on cost control, divestiture, restructuring, and other activities to generate cash. In most cases, LBO executives learned that strategies to increase cash flow work best when employees change their mindset and begin to think and act as if they are owners. In Camden Corporation(1) which increased its debt/equity ratio from 30% to 1,900% and had to generate enormous cash, the chairman concluded that the key to the success of the LBO was changing the mindset of employees so that each employee would make decisions while thinking and acting as if s/he were the owner. To create this mindset, Camden embarked on an extensive training and communication program, and shifted the incentive system to require that approximately 400 executives and managers invest from $20,000 to $5 million in the LBO. In addition, employees were asked to invest in the company through phantom stock ownership programs and pensions. These HR practices helped Camden's LBO succeed by encouraging a change in mindset in the managers who participated. Four years after the LBO, Camden has continued to meet debt requirements. For Camden, the integration of strategy and HR planning was focused on HR practices changing in order to shape the new mindset at Camden as managers and employees became owners.