It is commonplace at my company that all mid level managers and above spend at least one day every year going "back to the floor".
This really helps all levels of the team appreciate each others problems
Would highly recommend we all have this experience. Although I know many people have worked their way up to their current position, it is really true to say that in any successful company, things change and the grass roots may not now be as they were when today's leaders started their journey.