How to Be a Leader When Your Employer Asks You to Come Back to the Office

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Managers recognize rules they can break and rules they can’t break. They toe the company line with a smile on their face (as painful as that is!), then work behind the scenes in small conversations to sway leadership’s opinion and change policies. Keeping morale up and making sure that unity is a top priority is a manager’s job. Remember - always make your boss look good. That’s part of this.
But it’s dangerous. I hear you. You’re right. If you think it’s too dangerous to go back to the office for you, then either wear a mask, get a doctor’s note, talk to you boss about a special WFH arrangement, or find another job. Those are your options. They’re making a stupid, ill-informed decision. You might be right there. But do you think you’re the smartest person in the room? Do you think they have reasons that you might not know about? Let me burst your bubble a bit. Managers have reasons they don’t discuss with you. Maybe the actions right now aren’t as sensitive or safe as you want, but you have to live with it. AND they might have different reasons for it. You might not agree with their reasoning if you knew what those reasons really, truly are, but that’s what one-on-one conversations are for. Understanding. Speak up if you can get those leaders by themselves and ask to understand. Don’t ask to accuse. Ask to understand.
I work better at home. Lots of people do. Talk to your boss about it and maybe you’ll be allowed to work from home a day or two each week.
Bottom line: You need to be a leader here. Within a large company, leaders DON’T undermine their senior leaders. They follow whatever emotionally charged rules are out there and they lead people through it. A lot of leadership is listening to the fears of others and helping them through following the rules, then bringing those fears and objections to senior leadership one-on-one.

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