I never wanted to be a manager, and might not make a good one. I got along reasonably well with coworkers, and perhaps that would not allow me to be an effective manager, being too soft.
The Megacorps I were with all had a career path for people who wanted to remain technical workers and not getting into management. It was called the "technical ladder", among other things. Once I was on it, found out that there was no avoidance of politics and people's issues. The only way out, I thought, was to join small start-ups, where a group of like-minded technical guys could define our own work environment.
Hah! Just a trade-off of one set of problems for another set. The latter even cost me lost wages besides years of hard work.
I am telling ya, "fun work" only exists in your dream. If you get paid to do something, it's gonna extract something from you, either body or soul or both.
I am working part-time now, but "je ne veux pas travailler". Mais oui, je veux dejeuner!
PS. Search forums for "travailler" if you wonder what it is all about.