Advantages in not knowing very much...

When I question whether you have to have some or maybe very much knowledge about a profession to be or become a project manager in that area people usually have lots of arguments for the need of professional knowledge – actually it seems like they cannot imagine themselves being able to manage project without professional knowledge.

In a lot of incidences the background is that these project managers used to be very good if not the best in a specific area and therefore they might have been appointed project managers. So of course they will keep on working from this base of authority and how should they know if it is possible to step down from the knowledge base and step up on another – the good leadership base?

From time to time one should think about these things because they give a perspective to ones development – more technical stuff or more leadership?

Here are some input to your thoughts:

Fewer technically questions.. with fewer disturbances you have got more time to think ahead - the manager's main task!
Project participants know that you professionally are"blank" .. participants use you to other, more personal things such as to ensure good working conditions, high motivation, job, etc.
You do not know much about the profession.. you can concentrate fully on project management and facilitate eminent workshops to ensure that the project and the participants have very good understanding of and control over the project
You can not answer all the questions from the outside world.. you will need, but also an opportunity to promote your skilled participants to the world - they will rejoice and grow with the responsibility
You do not have just the solution to an urgent technical problem.. you will not be sucked into the matter and therefore can stay organized and escalate the matter properly if and when necessary. You can also ensure that the experts are left alone to solve the problem
You can not help a participant who is stuck in a challenge.. you can instead consider to grow the person by coaching through the necessary decisions if confidence is actually the problem, otherwise you can allocate the necessary knowledge for a period.
Your leadership colleagues can ask about anything professionally that you can not answer.. you can ensure that it is a fully correct answer that will be given by finding the right person.
Your boss knows you are not a specialist.. you are being assessed, receive recognition and is remunerated as a project manager.