Conscious unbossing

Does anyone really aspire to be a middle manager? That's like the worst spot in the hierarchy

From knowing a few swe/sysadmin people who have eventually ended up or choose the management path in team lead/middle management, most of them didn't plan to become managers but it more less happened to be a natural career progression at some point.

In my experience these people also mostly are effective managers because they have practical domain knowledge on the projects/teams they are managing. I see it as a normal thing to progress into, if your people skills are up to the task. A senior IC role is also nice but can be harder to get in certain organizations (however may be significantly less stressful).

I would have expected a higher percentage

People with self-esteem issues who want to fill a deep-seated insecurity about social status find the org-chart as an adequate way to fill up their needs.

The other is MBA grads/project managers who paid big bucks to be able to get a high paying job producing nothing but need a place in the company.

With any luck, middle managers will be replaced by AI within a few years.

The dumbest chat bot provides comparable advice and is less demotivating.

Not that most middle managers are worth more than a bucket of spit, and many are actively harmful to a companies bottom line (e.g. see Board disagreements about Intel layoffs and the role of risk-adverse middle managers in tanking the once mighty Intel. Undoubtedly, a similar phenom tanked Nissan).