Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

The city of Aquileia is an imposing, well-fortified, and impressive sight, but Attila’s army lays siege to it. The soldiers within the city are terrified of the reputation achieved by Attila and the Huns. Although Attila makes many adjustments to increase his army’s effectiveness, the Huns seem outmatched, and Attila prepares for retreat. Suddenly, however, the Huns see a stork fly out of the city. The army considers this an omen of good fortune, which swiftly boosts morale, allowing the horde to conquer the city. Attila’s persona speaks of the necessity for right judgment: “Rashness is unacceptable in those appointed to lead. All chieftains must learn that victory comes to one who knows not only what to do but when to do it” (67). Decisiveness regarding when to retreat, when to admit defeat, or when to continue pressing on is a skill without which a leader cannot hope to succeed.

As the size of the Hun nation increases, Attila finds it necessary to delegate more and more responsibility to his subordinates. Since requiring unfailing loyalty is essential, he needs to identify certain trustworthy and capable individuals to whom he can delegate the more mundane tasks of the regular government. Although the risk inherent in delegation is high, the reward is high as well. Attila’s persona admits that not even he, as marvelous as he is, can achieve all that he desires on his own. He admits that he “cannot supply counsel that applies to each act of delegation” (74) and that those in charge must be competent to judge and must possess great experience to serve in this capacity.

The next grouping of chapters highlights very particular skills that a leader will need to develop and perfect to become highly effective and competent. These are patience, decisiveness, the ability to delegate, and developing an effective reward system.

In the ninth chapter, which addresses the responsibilities of the one in charge, the duties of leaders toward their people and the means of success are addressed in the light of the ability to work toward a goal using the most prudent means. This does not mean always employing the easiest or quickest route to victory, especially when that would mean choosing violence first. Attila began to learn from his past mistakes and in his later years learned the wisdom of peaceful relations and diplomacy, at least as a first measure. While shock and awe tactics are highly effective battle strategies at times—not only in the moment but also to create a fearsome reputation for future enemies—immediate battle is not always the correct option.

To increase the chance at victory, diplomacy is often to be preferred at first in order to seek a means to immediate surrender or, at the very least, to assess the enemy’s position and use that information to one’s advantage. In the future, after battle is waged, further diplomatic tactics can be employed again with stricter measures. In addition, the leader needs to be responsible for being an example to his people. In choosing peaceful means first, leaders become an exemplar for all those who look up to them. This also provides an opportunity for the leader to lead an honorable life, inspiring their people to live honorable lives as well.

In the tenth chapter, which focuses on decisiveness, the virtue of proper judgment is extolled over the risks inherent in acting rashly or impetuously. Making rash decisions is often the result of being poorly prepared or lacking in moral fortitude; proper judgments are made when one has gained the proper amount of information and cultivated the fortitude and courage to make the right decision at the proper time. Cowardice can rob leaders of the opportunity to win a great victory if they are not prepared to act when opportunity presents itself.

Continuing the theme of proper judgment, the decisions that allow the regime to be extended and endure include delegating responsibilities to officers who help to govern the nation when they are trusted to use their own wise judgment. Key reasons that competent leaders achieve success include their steady will to lead, their laser focus, and their confidence that their vision alone can achieve the goals of the community. The ability to delegate, then, may seem to contradict these character traits that focus on one person’s focus and vision, and many leaders find it difficult to dole out responsibility to others due to their impression that things can only be done properly if they do them themselves.

This, however, betrays the ultimate end of the nation—or organization—since the principal goal of the true leader should be to lead the entity to its best result for the sake of the common good. While a single leader may be necessary to take the group to its ultimate goal, the leader needs to step back at a certain point to allow the community to flourish, instead of making it wholly and uniquely the creation of the individual. Bringing others into the fold—those who can be trusted with the duties and the office required—allows the talents of the leader to flourish with a more singular focus and opens opportunities for creative solutions to be found. Two heads are better than one, and when many intelligent and virtuous people collaborate, success is more likely to result from this group effort and sense of shared investment in the process.

Finally, the theme of proper rewards is addressed with the admission that while the nation—or, by extension, the organization—might have high ideals and broader long-range intentions, immediate gratification is still an effective and desirable thing. In the case of the Huns, the loot that was taken from plundering enemy camps and cities they conquered was this reward. By offering warriors compensation that they won with their own hands—especially in a manner that preserved a long-held custom of the people and their laws of war—Attila was able to win even greater loyalty and devotion to himself and their shared cause. Attila’s persona shows that even if those who work within the organization are committed to its goals and vision, they are also motivated and inspired by financial incentives and rewards. To help maintain their loyalty and prevent them from being lured away by competitors—those offering them roles as mercenaries, in the case of Attila’s soldiers—those in leadership must satisfactorily reward those who work to help the organization advance toward its goals.