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 for direction has an even chance of being right while to do nothing will be almost certainly wrong

Correct Option (B)

The passage explicitly challenges the belief that leadership is an innate quality. It states that "the art of leadership can be acquired and can indeed be taught." This directly supports the view that leadership is not merely an inborn trait but a skill that can be developed through learning and experience.

Incorrect Options:

Option (A): While the passage uses war as an example to illustrate how leadership skills, particularly prompt decision-making, are learned and applied, it does not assert that leadership can be taught exclusively through war experience. War serves as a context to demonstrate the principle, not as the sole means of acquisition.

Option (C): The passage mentions that "the results achieved can surprise even the instructors," indicating the effectiveness and positive outcomes of leadership training. However, this statement refers to the quality and impact of the training, suggesting that more leaders are produced than initially anticipated, rather than focusing on the numerical quantity exceeding expectations.

Option (D): The passage contradicts this option by emphasizing that leadership can be successfully taught and acquired. The assertion that "the art of leadership can be acquired and can indeed be taught," coupled with the mention of surprising results from training, implies that instruction is effective in producing leaders, rather than yielding few successful outcomes.