Nobody talks about the people who left before it got bad.
They saw it. Before the restructuring, before the layoffs, before the all-hands where leadership performed certainty. The smart ones saw the temperature change and they left.
“New opportunity.” “Time for a change.” “Excited about the next chapter.”
All translations of: “I know what’s coming and I choose not to be here for it.”
The institution didn’t mourn them. Posted the jobs. Filled the seats. Moved on. But the people who stayed noticed. Quietly. “If she left, what does she know?”
The departures are data. The smart ones leaving is a leading indicator. By the time you understand what they saw, the restructuring is already drafted.