Organically learning... do you mean people somehow just figure out how to be good leaders by trial and error? I would submit that that isn't necessarily so.
Not just trial and error, but observation and direct experience from the other end, too. You can observe others in leadership positions, see how effective their methods appear to be, and see if that's something that might be effective for you. And when you're being led, what factors make you want to follow this leader? Which ones make you want to ignore them?
IMO, there's some good research that can help us make sense of some of the "soft stuff." I say this having had both hands-on learning experiences and camps/courses/books that supplemented those experiences.
I agree, I just think it needs to be handled differently when presented to 12yos, because this is an age group where rebellion and hormonal changes are beginning in earnest, and social skills are definitely in the "emerging" state. It would probably be best to teach this age group leadership skills without explicitly saying so.
