This is the best explanation. As much as managers pretend like lead/senior engineers are on the same rung of the hierarchy, they're not. Engineers are seen as "

This is the best explanation. As much as managers pretend like lead/senior engineers are on the same rung of the hierarchy, they're not. Engineers are seen as "resources", a cost center, an input that produces an output, a more differentiated assembly line worker (engineers have higher status at tech companies obviously, but it's still the same dynamic). Managers report to the executives / upper management, and have all the relationships, political capital, and power. Is it fair? That's a separate question, but not a question the company cares about. Remember a company isn't a democracy, it's a dictatorship/oligarchy, probably led by someone non-technical who's goal is to maximize business profits, not please engineers. As an engineer I wish it was different.