The transition from technical professional to technical manager is probably one of the most difficult evolutions a person will ever make (and I use "technical" in a generic sense--I believe this holds true in any industry).
For myself, part of the difficulty came from watching other engineers do the tasks that had made me the "go-to guy" to begin with--in some respects, I was no longer as indispensable as I once was. Feeling like "they don't need me anymore" is no fun at all. I like being touted as "the Internet guru" or the "router god"; as the movie line goes, "it's good to be the king."
The reality, however, is that the engineers who were taking over my old responsibilities were ones that I had trained. I was able to assume managerial duties because I had made myself replaceable at a technical level.
The lesson to be learned, at least for me, is that effective management focuses on improving those who are managed. Whether a manager is "hands-on" is not terribly relevant. What counts is whether their focus in others or on themselves.
Cordially,
Peter Nayland Kust
TEKMedia Communications
pkust@tekmedia.com
http://www.tekmedia.com 
