I’m not IT based but I’ve had similar situations in the last couple of years. I ended up taking a secondment in another team that did have a bit of management experience. I’m back in my original team now and just applied for a leadership role. If I don’t get it now I never will and I might as well look elsewhere (if I can be bothered!).
That what I will have to look at but usually when teams have secondments it’s either the same job as mine in a different team or it is a step up the ladder but they will ear mark someone in that team, understandably they want to develop their own rather then someone from another team, but I will apply regardless next time just to put a shot across the bow of my management as they seem to think I’ll stick around forever (I will with the company but not necessarily the team) so it’s always worth letting them know you have options too.
The first time I suggested I wanted to do something else to my manager a couple of years back he talked me out of it by talking about succession planning and all of that BS as he’s only a few years away from retirement but that’s resulted in sweet FA so far and when I said it again last week to him his facial expression was like someone who just shit his pants which was quite something for someone whose usual very relaxed about things. But it’s getting to the stage where I need to move even if it’s not for progression, just for a change of scenery and a fuck you too to my management.