Answer to: My superiors want me to pretend in front of my subordinates that I support a company policy I disagree with. How do I handle this instruction?

The leadership of your organization are cowards and they're asking you to be a scapegoat for them because they don't want to face backlash. They can't stand behind their own decision. They know the policy will be poorly received, but that's inconvenient for them. "Wouldn't it be great if we can make OP take the heat for this instead of us? Let's ask him to act like it was all his/her own idea!" It's a manipulative tactic. It's also amateurish and unprofessional, and it's not going to work. Your team will probably not believe that you came up with the stupid policy (whatever it is). But the bigger issue is that regardless of who gets blamed for the idea, it sounds like it's going to have a toxic effect on morale. Even if no complaints ever reach Level 1's desk, the effects may include: valuable staff quitting (you mentioned this is already happening) new hires being tainted from the start by the downer atmosphere prospective hires not applying once word gets around. Sometimes upper management self-sabotages, and ultimately there's little you can do to stop them. Without knowing more details about your particular situation it's hard to suggest specific solutions, but is there maybe a way you can somewhat shield yourself and your team from the unnecessary stress that the new policy will introduce? Normally I would suggest sending honest feedback up the chain to HR - anonymously if your company offers such an option. This can give decision-makers a chance to see potential problems with their policies and make adjustments. But in your case, since it's coming from the very top, it sounds like that won't work. Malicious compliance can be a strategy in some cases. But ultimately you probably shouldn't expect the work environment to be sustainable long-term. Pressure is going to build up in the system, and something is going to blow. Just try to make sure it's not you.