Ready for things to get back to normal? You're not alone, but the leaders who force a full return to the office may create the very "Turnover Tsunami" they fear. With Wollard and Shuck's antecedents of engagement, GM's "Work Appropriately" policy under Mary Barra, and Bob Dylan's reminder that the times they are a-changin', this article makes the research case for remote-work flexibility and the leadership posture required to retain talent on the other side of the pandemic.

Conventional wisdom says speak first, speak fast, and never let a vacuum form. Recent research complicates that picture. Not all silence is created equal. Le et al. (2019) identify three distinct types of silence (avoidance, hiding, and strategic delay) and only one of them protects leadership credibility. Used well, strategic silence buys time to get the response right and signals work-in-progress. Used badly, silence is simply evidence you were hiding.