Q What is your opinion about "Generation Y's" sense of entitlement?

A I don't get why everyone is so down on Gen Y. I think the crop of 20-somethings breaking into the business world is about as energised and exciting a group of "kids" as I've ever seen. I've found Gen Y'ers to be hardworking, entrepreneurial, startlingly authentic, refreshingly candid and wonderfully upbeat.

Every crop of graduates contains its share of swaggering bigheads, convinced that grown-ups can go home. Most of these end up eating humble pie after a few years—ruling the world is not as easy as they thought.

Everywhere I go, I meet MBAs who have decided to spurn the corporate world to start their own businesses. Not every Gen Y'er is hankering to be an entrepreneur, but many still want to change the world with where and how they work, exuding an optimism more reminiscent of the 1950s than any other era in recent memory.

Maybe Gen Y's reputation for entitlement derives from its apparent interest in making lots of money. But Gen Y'ers also ask about ethics and social responsibility. Many show a thoughtful concern about how to strike a balance between work and life.

There are some entitled-acting young people entering business today. But in my experience, Gen Y is anything but. They're driven, open-minded and thoughtful in a way that will be great for their careers and the entire economy to boot.

All they need to do is grow up.