Could Britainís business leaders learn leadership skills from The Queen?

Fifty four per cent of people think leaders are made, not born, suggesting that training and development play a vital part in the shaping of good leaders. The survey, from leading online training provider learndirect business, also rates The Queen No 1 for leadership skills.

Her Majesty beat off other high profile leaders, including billionaire entrepreneur Donald Trump, and chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver. Football manager Alex Ferguson, well known for his combative aggressive style came second in the survey. By contrast, fellow premiership manager Jose Mourinho came last.

The survey, carried out to support ëThe Apprenticeí DVD training courses from learndirect business, asked managers and employees working in small to medium sized businesses which public figure best demonstrated good leadership skills, whether they viewed themselves as good leaders, and what leadership training they had undertaken.

Surprisingly, the results show that while over three quarters of respondents think they are good leaders, a staggering 51% have never taken part in any leadership training. Women questioned rated ëexcellent communication skillsí as the most important skill required for a good business leader, whereas men rated a ëgood motivator of peopleí as the key factor.

A third of respondents do not feel their own manager is a good leader.

Kirstie Donnelly, Director of Products and Marketing at learndirect business, comments:

ìLeadership skills are critical to the success of a business and nine out of ten people in our research agree that good leadership is essential for business success. Itís imperative, therefore, that whatever the industry, senior people have leadership training to equip them to rise to the challenges of running a company.

ìIn addition to teaching the art of leadership and management, The Apprentice training courses from learndirect business cover topics that are vital to business success, including negotiation, selling, pitching and presenting. They are a powerful way of helping businesses address important skills in a highly interactive and engaging way.î

The Apprentice DVDs help employers who are short on time and resources tackle the essential issue of staff training and development in a flexible and engaging manner. Introduced by Nick Hewer, one of Sir Alan Sugarís senior aides, they incorporate footage from the show to deliver a modern and practical approach to training. Just as in the show, users must undertake real life business tasks to explore their current skills. Nick sets the tasks and then gives powerful feedback to help users develop and improve their business skills.

To find out more about how learndirect business can help your company, call the helpline on 08000 150 750 or visit www.learndirect-business.co.uk.