Delegation is one of the key differences between upper and middle management. Since a senior manager spends most of his energy on creating effective strategies. He has to be able to delegate decision making on non-strategic issues. In order for this to happen, a manager needs to realize the strengths and weakness of his team to delegate properly. Since delegating comes with trust in subordinates, therefore delegating should be done properly. A senior manager can only delegate if he knows what his subordinate is capable of. hence, having experience in middle management is essential to be able to recognize that. Personally, I would like to stay in middle management for sometime as you recognize the hardship. Once, you are able to cope up there then only you can become a successful manager.