A former job (call center, tech support) had low-level leadership positions called "peer coaches", and true to form they really did focus on mentoring, performance management and all that fun stuff.
The current field I'm in has a similar position titled "team leader". I held that job at a small hospital for about 2 1/2 years, and because we were such a small place I was effectively the team manager (and my own manager was effectively a director). My transition from this team lead position to manager was pretty easy because of it - I was already dealing with almost everything a manager does.
I think these sort-of lower level authority positions are good, in general. It provides career pathing, which some people value (and obviously, some do not). And it gives a good half-step into future management roles. Like, is this something you want? Here's a little taste of it. I had no interest in management until I had been a team lead for a couple of years. I know other leads that have zero interest in moving up, and others who are just flailing at it. But it's a good part-way between all the responsibilities of management and being an individual contributor.
