The war for talent has thrown a spotlight on corporate succession as Australia’s business leaders plan for future generations and ask the vexing question: can leadership be taught or if it is just a gift for the chosen few?

The results of last month’s Rewards survey further highlighted a growing hunger for leadership in the Australian workplace.

When asked whether leaders were born or made, 65% of survey respondents said they believed that leaders could be made. This thought appears to be widespread; in 2003 US corporations spent around $820 per employee per annum on corporate education. The largest slice of the pie went to the training of managerial and supervisory staff at around 13%.

Corporate training also has a strong foothold in Australian workplaces with over 65% of Rewards participants affirming that their company actively encouraged leadership grooming. Around 98% of those surveyed stated that they were either currently in some sort of training or planned to be soon.

So, if leadership is such a desired quality these days, to what lengths are we prepared to go to find that special someone, that leader who can take the business to new heights? When the question turned to who should be hired to fill a new managerial role, the consensus was strong. An overwhelming 88% believed that the position should always go to the best man/woman for the job regardless of whether or not it meant sourcing externally.