I've seen and lived what you describe on occasion and it sucks. Managing the features does not mean deciding them, just like programming the features does not m

I've seen and lived what you describe on occasion and it sucks. Managing the features does not mean deciding them, just like programming the features does not mean deciding them. Same for all disciplines. Establishing the process and responsibilities around which decisions are made is the hardest part of directing a project, and the default often ends up becoming "I direct thus I decide".