Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Wess Roberts (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1995

Offers maxims and anecdotal tales that demonstrate the leadership capabilities of Attila the Hun, explaining how these qualities can be related to contemporary business situations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

H. Ross Perot ...The principles are timeless. -- Review

About the Author

Wess Roberts, Ph.D. is the international best-selling author of Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, Straight A's Never Made Anybody Rich, and Victory Secrets of Attila the Hun. His latest book is entitled, "Make it so!" Captain Picard's Lessons for a New Generation of Leaders. His works have been translated into twenty-two languages.

The recipient of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Patriotic Service Award, he is the executive producer of six award-winning motivation and training films and has authored over forty-five professional papers on human behavior.

Dr. Roberts has held senior management positions at major insurance and financial service companies on the West Coast. He served to major in the U.S. Army where he was assigned for three years to the U.S. Army Combat Arms Training Board. As an adjunct professor at Southern Utah University, Utah State University, and Nova University, Dr. Roberts has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in business, education and psychology. He currently makes his home in Utah, where he writes and lectures on a variety of business and leadership topics.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Nightingale-Conant; Abridged edition (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671520660
• ISBN-13: 978-0671520663
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,206,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Wess Roberts is The New York Times bestselling author of Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, Straight A's Never Made Anybody Rich, Victory Secrets of Attila the Hun, co-author of Make It So, Protect Your Achilles Heel, It Takes More Than a Carrot and a Stick, The Best Advice Ever for Leaders, and collaborated with Brigadier General John C. "Doc" Bahnsen, Jr. in the penning of American Warrior. His books have been published in 24 languages.

After earning his doctorate in psychology from Utah State University, Wess opted for military service and was selected for an assignment with the US Army Combat Arms Training Board. He served to the rank of major in the US Army. His diverse career also includes senior management positions at American Express Company, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, Northrop Services Company, and Courseware, Incorporated. He is also a former board member of the Health Plan of the Redwoods.

As an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University, Southern Utah University, and Utah State University, Wess instructed both graduate and undergraduate courses in business, education, and psychology. A former member of the Business School Dean's Advisory Boards at the University of Utah, Utah State University, and Westminster College, he served on the President's Advisory Board at Nova Southeastern University. Wess is the author of forty-five professional papers on human behavior, and the executive producer of six award-winning motivation and training films.

As an author, Wess has been a guest on over 400 radio and television programs including Oprah, CBS This Morning, CNN, and CNBC. In addition, articles about him and his books have appeared in every major news and business publication including Newsweek, Time, Across the Board, Vanity Fair, Barron's, Fortune, Forbes, and Success Magazine as well as in every major newspaper including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Investor's Business Daily, The Houston Chronicle, The Atlanta Constitution, The Detroit Free Press, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and The San Francisco Chronicle. His management classic, Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, served as the basis for the A&E Biography on Attila.

As a speaker, he has addressed corporate, government, medical, military, trade association, and university audiences throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe.

Among other distinctions, Wess is a member of the US Army Field Artillery and Missile School OCS Hall of Fame, and the recipient of the US Army Field Artillery Association's Honorable Order of Saint Barbara, the US Department of Treasury's Patriotic Service Award, and a Professional Achievement Award from Utah State University's College of Business and Alumni Association.

Wess makes his home in Utah.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative, sometimes funny, book, February 28, 2000

By 

Leon M. Bodevin "Do right and fear no man" (Lemoore, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun (Paperback)

I'm surprised at the negative reviews for this book. A lot of this book is written tongue-in-cheek (I doubt any manager wants to be known as the "scourge of God"): a sense of irony doesn't hurt when reading it. Anyway, I thought a lot of the maxims (this book is basically a book of maxims) were quite helpful: when to reward your employees, when not to; how greatness can be achieved through extreme of personality. I guess a lot of readers don't like the take-charge attitude of the author but in my mind it can spur on action. But I am not a manager and may be speaking from ignorance. In any case, I enjoyed this book as a vacation from the many predictable books you read on leadership. I also recommend Lincoln On Leadership by Donald Phillips.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars suspension of disbelief, March 15, 2002

By 

JP Pentecostes (Valencia, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun (Paperback)

Whether or not the book has factual historical basis is beside the point. I approached this book with what they call in filmmaking as "suspension of disbelief". When read against the backdrop of ordinary experiences, most of the author's analogies and aphorisms amazingly make sense. Attila can exact obedience by just killing rivals and subordinates -- hardly the epitome of the leader. But he rose and survived among unthinking barbarians -- he demonstrated leadership even before he became one. To survive and lead amid trying circumstances is the essence of this book. The author detailed out the mechanics of Attila's leadership which is so credible you would willingly believe. Management gurus dissect leadership in complex paradigms and theories. Wess Robert's Attila simplified these in absolute truths--loyalty, courage, desire, emotional/physical stamina, empathy, decisiveness, anticipation, timing, competitivenes, self-confidence, accountability, responsibility, credibility, tenacity, dependability and stewardship. Attila exuded benign leadership when he gave up Rome and the world because of the word of the Pope. It would be hard to find another parallel in history.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great leadership primer, May 30, 2003

By 

Daniel K. Clouser (Newport, RI) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun (Paperback)

Sure, if you're looking for an in-depth treatise on Attila or Leadership you are bound to be disappointed. I have read this book numerous times and have assigned it to my subordinate managers as required reading. In every case those people have been pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to read, understand and apply to improve their leadership and management practices. It gets individuals interested in picking up other, more detailed works on leadership and management that they might not have been drawn to in the first place.