That bit about the assumption of positional authority really rings true.

I've worked with a number of people who used to be in blue collar jobs (former military non-commissioned officers, former trades men, etc). They often have a different kind of work ethic than people without that background and that often adds a lot. You'll rarely see analysis paralysis with them, or non-KISS solutions.

However, I once worked in an organization where all the management came from that background, and really still had one foot (at least) in that mindset. They did not understand what the engineers and developers did, so often made decisions based on fear of the unknown, or out of a sense that their authority was being questioned. Not a good scene.