Managing technical professionals: but what about your own career?

I HAVE been writing quarterly articles in this column since 2012, and just like all other fellow authors who have a regular column in EMR, my intent is to bring to light some of the real issues practicing engineering managers deal with on a daily basis. I try to make my column as relevant as possible and do hope that you find the topic of the quarter useful. This quarter, my column focuses not to a specific function of an engineering manager, but to the engineering manager herself/himself. I want to focus on the career of an engineering manager and how it has its ups and downs, but that the ups and downs are not always the fault of the manager and that it could be the outcome of the environment in the organization.