When it comes to leadership positions, only a few dot.coms are intentionally seeking Gen Yers because they are still young and relatively inexperienced in the world of leadership. Gen Yers may be masterminds in technology, but leadership is an area where natural talent meets learned skills, and great leaders have both. Leaders are not born or made, but honed and forged in the fire. In many cases, Gen Y just isn’t ready, but there are always those who are, and the good news about Gen Yers is that there are plenty of them. In fact, the number of young people in the United States without jobs has exploded to 53.4 percent—a post–World War II high, according to the Department of Labor.12 And they do bring some positive attributes to the workplace, ...

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