[chii]

> engineers that grow into their leadership positions .. to having dedicated managers. With business degrees.

this also happens in software companies i feel.

The underlying issue, i suspect, is that engineers are not "people persons" - less able to manoeuvre politically, and "play the game". But in any societal organization, those who can play the political game can win.

Thus, the dedicated managers end up in those positions. They play the political game, and they get rewarded for it - because they control the reward scheme when they get to those high positions.

Meritocracy is an illusion that gets used by those playing a political game to make engineers feel they are not part of the game.