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. The author of the passage holds the view that

The author's main point is directly stated in the second sentence: "This theory is false, for the art of leadership can be acquired and can indeed be taught." Let's analyze the options: A) leadership can be taught through war experience only Incorrect. The passage states "This discovery is made in time of war," implying war is a context where it's learned and proven effective, but it does not claim it's the *only* way leadership can be taught. The initial statement about acquiring and teaching leadership is general. B) leadership can be acquired as well as taught Correct. This option directly reflects the author's explicit statement: "the art of leadership can be acquired and can indeed be taught." This is the core belief the author holds. C) the results of training show that more people acquire leadership than are expected Incorrect as the primary view. The passage mentions "the results achieved can surprise even the instructors," which supports the idea that results are better than expected. However, this is a consequence or observation about the *effectiveness* of teaching leadership, not the author's fundamental view *about* whether leadership can be acquired or taught in the first place. The author's primary view is that it *can* be acquired and taught. D) despite rigorous instruction, very few leaders are produced Incorrect. This contradicts the passage, which states that the "results achieved can surprise even the instructors," implying positive and perhaps numerous outcomes, not very few leaders.