Yeah. There are numerous quotes on differentials in programmer productivity being an order of magnitude or more between a bad one and a good one, but the reality is — at least in software — it often seems the same holds true for managers, except they can sink or save their whole sub-tree.
A good manager is a powerful thing, especially a good manager who knows his limits, but too often (especially in continental Europe) "management" seems to be a "reward and natural evolution", to the exclusion of other evolutionary paths and hinging as much (if not more) on the ability to brown-nose and play politics as management skills.
A good manager is a powerful thing, especially a good manager who knows his limits, but too often (especially in continental Europe) "management" seems to be a "reward and natural evolution", to the exclusion of other evolutionary paths and hinging as much (if not more) on the ability to brown-nose and play politics as management skills.