The key to being successful in management is to make the job your own...just the right mix of technology, people and politics to keep you happy. Of course, this is easier said than done. There are a lot of egos above you and below, and the company and culture can control you instead of you taking control. In my career, any job of importance that I have held, management or not, has involved a lot of dirty work involving politics, persuasion, and negotiation. I always thought that it was better to do the dirty work from a position of power with a better title, and being in management made a difference to my increased job satisfaction.