WERE women like Julia Gillard, Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton born to lead?

That’s the question to be explored in depth at the next Australian Institute of Management (AIM) Women in Management Great Debate on July 27 at the National Convention Centre.

Now in its 14th year in Canberra, the event usually attracts big numbers and focuses on the “hot topics” for women in the office; but not without a dose of good humour.

Debaters this year include comedian Corinne Grant, navy commander Jennifer Wittwer and social commentator Jane Caro. Members of the panel will argue either on the “for” or “against” side of this year’s topic: “Are women natural born leaders?”

Comedian and former TV personality Julie McCrossin (pictured), who is hosting the event for the fourth time, believes the debate will have appeal for both women and men.

“It’s about seeing both opinions for both sexes in an entertaining way,” McCrossin said.

“There are two senior men on the panel as well, so it’s not just about the women. The pleasure of it for me is I’m challenged to think of things I haven’t thought about before.

“Both Corinne and myself are comedians and for us it was about breaking into a male dominated industry and becoming leaders in our own right.”

As for McCrossin’s personal view on the argument at hand, she believes most leadership skills can be learned – but that there’s one gene you’ve got to be born with.

“As Westpac CEO Gail Kelly said, there’s something that has to be in your DNA to be a successful leader, and that’s generosity of spirit. After all, you need followers to be a leader, and having that quality means people will want to follow you. If you’ve got that passion of wanting to improve lives – well, you can’t learn that.”