Millsy Basically this.
I’ve been pushed to manage teams throughout my career, as considered necessary for ‘advancement.’ This despite me being very clear that I’m not that good as a manager, and would far rather just get on with my own work, rather than have to worry about some idiot that can’t spell correctly.
I honestly don’t give a fuck about status as long as I’m suitably paid for the expertise I offer. My current boss has finally recognised the value of having someone like me doing the stuff that I do - so I basically get left alone to get on with it, and feel like I’m being paid well enough not to look for work elsewhere.