Passage - 4
Some people believe that leadership is a quality which you have at birth or not at all. This theory is false, for the art of leadership can be acquired and can indeed be taught. This discovery is made in time of war and the results achieved can surprise even the instructors. Faced with the alternatives of going left or right, every soldier soon grasps that a prompt decision either way is better than an endless discussion. A firm choice of direction has an even chance of being right while to do nothing will be almost certainly wrong.

Question: The author of the passage holds the view that

The correct option is: leadership can be acquired as well as taught.

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Locating the key claim in the passage:
The passage starts by addressing a common belief: "Some people believe that leadership is a quality which you have at birth or not at all." The author immediately refutes this theory by stating, "This theory is false, for the art of leadership can be acquired and can indeed be taught." This direct statement matches the correct option perfectly.

2. Analyzing why other options are incorrect:
- "leadership can be taught through war experience only": Although the passage mentions that "This discovery is made in time of war," it does not state that war is the exclusive environment where leadership can be taught.
- "the results of training show that more people acquire leadership than are expected": The passage states that "the results achieved can surprise even the instructors," but it does not specify that this surprise is due to a larger quantity of people acquiring leadership than expected.
- "despite rigorous instruction, very few leaders are produced": This option contradicts the author's positive assertion that leadership skills can be successfully acquired and taught.