Martin Luther King, Barack Obama and even X Factor judge Simon Cowell are among the all-time greatest leaders for Brit teenagers, according to a new poll.
The poll of more than 1,000 youngsters by The Prince's Trust found most viewed American civil rights leader Rev King as the greatest leader.
Following him closely were US President Barack Obama and former South African president Nelson Mandela. The top 10 also included England footballer John Terry, actress and Gurkha champion Joanna Lumley and businessman Lord Sugar.
Cowell won the same percentage of the vote as Mother Teresa and 16th Century monarch Henry VIII. The survey was published to mark a new Government-backed campaign, 'Youth of Today', aimed at creating a generation of inspirational young leaders.
The campaign aims to encourage hundreds of young people to become leaders, from sports coaches to public speakers. The survey revealed that 70% of teenagers said they were more likely to be inspired by someone they knew than by a celebrity, challenging popular perceptions of British youth.
Two in three teenagers believed there were more celebrities setting a bad example than a good one today. "People think that youth today only aspire to be like celebrities but they're wrong. This campaign will give young people more inspiration closer to home," the Telegraph quoted Adam Nichols from The Youth of Today as saying.
Seven leading youth organisations joined forces to launch the campaign, led by The Prince's Trust, including the British Youth Council, Changemakers, Citizenship Foundation, National Youth Agency, Young Foundation and the UK Youth Parliament.
