Inspirational leaders … Mandela, Moses, Martin Luther King, and, er, Simon Cowell

Published on Sunday 25 October 2009 21:06

THE power of modern pop culture has been underlined by a survey of teenagers who ranked Simon Cowell alongside Moses and Martin Luther King when asked to name the world's greatest leaders.

The Youth of Today survey, commissioned by The Prince's Trust, found that the reality TV and music mogul won the same percentage of the vote as Mother Teresa and the 16th-century monarch Henry VIII.

It led commentators to suggest young people can no longer distinguish between leadership, celebrity and fame.

The survey of 1,095 13-to-19-year-olds coincides with a new government-backed campaign to create a generation of inspirational young leaders.

The top ten chosen is a mix of historical and contemporary figures, with Martin Luther King in pole position, obtaining nearly a quarter of the vote. US president Barack Obama was second and Nelson Mandela third.

Alan, now Lord, Sugar is fourth while Moses and Bill Gates tied for fifth. The list also includes England footballer John Terry and actress Joanna Lumley.

Some 70 per cent of teenagers claim they are more likely to be inspired by someone they know than by a celebrity, challenging popular perceptions of British youth. Sixty-four per cent were inspired by someone in their family. Two in three (67 per cent) believe there are more celebrities setting a bad example than a good one today.

1. Martin Luther King 23%

2. Barack Obama 14%

3. Nelson Mandela 12%

4. Lord Sugar 7%

5- Moses

Bill Gates 4%

7- Joanna Lumley 3%

8- John Terry

Simon Cowell

Mother Teresa

Henry VIII 2%

Dr Keith Kahn-Harris, from the Centre for Urban and Community Research, said it might sound cynical, but he would expect a young person to be less familiar with Mother Teresa than Cowell. He said: "I'm not sure why Henry VIII is on that list. Young people probably have very little sense of what makes a leader. You would think pop stars would be on there. We are living in a celebrity culture and it's very easy to confuse that.

"People learn important figures in school so this list is just a bizarre combination. It's quite clear who's more important, Nelson Mandela or Simon Cowell."

Lumley said last night: "I'd never thought of myself as a leader but I'm thrilled and touched that young people think of me that way."

Adam Nichols, from The Youth of Today, said: "People think young people only aspire to be like celebrities but they're wrong. Shows such as The X Factor prove that Britain really does have young talent – but we cannot rely on The X Factor alone. We need to find new ways to unearth the next generation of potential."