I think this kind of thinking highly depends on what field you are in. My father worked in a technical role all his live in a automotive plant. (Eventually bei

I think this kind of thinking highly depends on what field you are in. My father worked in a technical role all his live in a automotive plant. (Eventually being technically responsible for overall design and implementation of all production lines). A lot of his former collegues moved into management during the early 2000's. Most got fired after the great recession because being a manager is considered a non skill compared to actually contributing to the actual core bussiness. I would argue being responsible for a major operational part of the business is far more prestigious then being a manager.