A gene has been uncovered that may help to create born leaders.

The leadership gene, known as rs4950, is an inherited DNA sequence associated with people taking charge.

Scientists accept that leadership skills are also learned. But the gene may provide the vital push needed to make someone into a manager rather than a minion.

Researchers found the gene after analysing DNA samples from around 4,000 individuals and matching them to information about jobs and relationships. Workplace supervisory roles were used as a measurement of leadership behaviour.

The study showed that a quarter of the observed variation in leadership traits between individuals could be explained by genetics.

Lead scientist Dr Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, from University College London, said: "We have identified a genotype, called rs4950, which appears to be associated with the passing of leadership ability down through generations.

"The conventional wisdom - that leadership is a skill - remains largely true, but we show it is also, in part, a genetic trait."

The findings appear online in the journal Leadership Quarterly.

Some of the greatest leaders in recent history include Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Sir Winston Churchill. The new research suggests at least the possibility that some of these historic figures were blessed with the leadership gene.

Despite the importance of the gene, acquiring a leadership position still mostly depends on developing the necessary skills, said the researchers.

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Scientists find leadership gene

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