[Kolgena]

Both. I like to think that the two aspects are multiplicative.

[Rodo]

A tough question, I think both kind of leaders exist.
Some are better that others of course.

mmm... trained leaders look at leading as a responsability, natural leaders think of it as... not sure.

[Sushi]

My answer to the question: yes.

Just like any other skill. Some people have innate ability and need little training. Some people can gain the ability with the right training, the earlier started the better. Others just don't have the knack and never will without significant training and practice.

So, I don't think Leadership is different from any other skill in this regard.

[NGTM-1R]

The problem with this is that it presents leadership as a skill to be honed; it is not, or we would have a much greater proportion of successful leaders because it would be truly teachable. We can teach you how to work the system to greater or lesser degrees, how to manipulate existing implements correctly. But that's not leadership. That's knowing how to play the game. It is a skill to be acquired.

Leadership is temperamental, not a skill. It manifests by going into the unknown and bringing order from chaos, in overthrowing the normal routine and bringing revolution and change. In theory anyone may be forced to these things and thereby be a leader, but it goes against the grain for most.

We can teach you to work the system, and there are levels of "leadership" where that's the only valid skill. But we can't make your personality change.

[Grizzly]

The term 'leader' is way to vague IMO. A leader can be an exceptional orator, who leads people trough charisma. There are also leaders who posses an awesome perception of other's people's abilities and knows how to put them to use, leading trough intelligence... But some who posses those abilities never become leaders...

There is a thing though. Leaders are not made or born. They are chosen. The ability of other people to recognize your leadership skills is even more important then your leadership skills themselves.

[Pred the Penguin]

I think you've hit upon a point here. There is no 'I' in 'leader', it takes many other people to create one. In that case, I don't really think leaders are born.