At my previous employer, a high* level manager (3 levels above me - a leaf node developer), considered it his job to just shield his subordinates from demands/b

At my previous employer, a high* level manager (3 levels above me - a leaf node developer), considered it his job to just shield his subordinates from demands/bullshit of those above him. That's definitely a desirable quality, and leads me to believe he'd have other desirable qualities. * In reality, middle management, but at the level where strategic decisions are made/strongly influenced.