Yeah I think there's a balance here. One of my favorite managers also didn't understand my project (although he did understand software engineering in general) and I later found out everyone else hated him. I've seen what I suspect is similar later: managers who just see their job as defending their team. Someone needs something from the team? Push back. Their teams needs something? Hound those responsible. Team has an opinion? It's undisputed truth now. No ability to mediate or help with the bigger picture. Just like a lawyer for their employees.
What you need is someone who will take care of the employees and jump on grenades of distraction so they can focus on their job. But you also have to have enough context to step back and say, "hmm... doing this would be best for the greater good - my team should take a look at this." It doesn't need to be the ability to do it themselves, but they have to have some.
You'd be lucky in software engineering if your non-technical manager sees their job as just defending their team. Someone needs something from the team? Push the team to give it to them. Their teams needs something? Give excuses on behalf of higher management but take all the flak from your employees for the excuses. Team has an opinion? Promote upper management's opinion as undisputed truth. Does have ability to recognize the bigger picture of their next promotion or new job. Just like a lawyer for their own CV.
Agreed - I guess what I'm trying to say is if you have a boss who doesn't understand the technicalities and won't understand them, this kind of manager is the best-case scenario. Certainly there are worse managers, but there are fundamental limitations preventing them from becoming better.
I agree. It would be a mistake to assume that every level of management must somehow know many of the low-level details of every single person he/she might manage, directly and/or indirectly.
A CEO, like Jeff Immelt of GE, cannot possibly know how to do all of the jobs of all of the people in the entire company. Yet, he somehow does a good job of leading GE.
What you need is someone who will take care of the employees and jump on grenades of distraction so they can focus on their job. But you also have to have enough context to step back and say, "hmm... doing this would be best for the greater good - my team should take a look at this." It doesn't need to be the ability to do it themselves, but they have to have some.