A lot of people say this is the purpose of managers but it seems few actually believe it, especially those who seem to need to actively try to convince people that this is all they're doing.

In reality, most non-technical managers of technical staff look down on their subordinates and see themselves as babysitters who need to make sure that those stupid nerds don't waste the company's money, which they've been charged to protect. This results in "removing barriers" by telling everyone to shut up and get back to following directions. Some managers are very sneaky about this and their subordinates often don't realize that's what's happening.