I've been asking myself the same thing periodically. I've even had a few interviews for a software engineer position where I've been ask "why do you want to return to software development?". While I won't know the outcome of the most recent interviews - I can illustrate how I avoided ruining my chances at returning to the core of my profession.
Don't Downplay Your Management Skills
Be proud of your accomplishments while at the helm. Be honest with the challenges and outline both things you'd like to have done as well as the things you could have done better as the manager. Also point out what appealed to you about management in the first place. Provide examples of how you showed leadership and what your thoughts are on leadership. I for instance don't believe that management and leadership are the same things. Leaders aren't necessary managers - however others respect, listen to, and follow leaders regardless of titles. Managers can be leaders - if they are doing it right. Generally managers are culled from the herd because they are the leaders within the development team.
Outline Your Management Philosophy
These things will help the hiring manager know what you are like as well as what you expect from them as a manager (that is if they are a good manager). Stating that I am not a micro-manager - is bold, but it also makes it clear you don't expect or need to be micro-managed. State how you view leadership and management - in positive terms. For instance I look at management as an opportunity to serve the people I work with. I find their strengths and exploit them. I find what makes them happy about their job and attempt to give them more of those types of opportunities. I ignore their weaknesses and try not to make them strengths (yes, because their weaknesses are their problems, not yours or your organizations). I praise in public and reward discreetly as is needed for the person's personality. I support them in their job. And unless they exhibit behavior that needs to be handled by HR - I support them publicly and in private meetings with manager/director peers. I chasten and coach in private and (mostly) without any anger. I remember my place - I will never look good unless the people I serve are happy and productive.
Be Clear On What Can Do and What Your Weaknesses Are
I am good at back end work. I can put together an API. I can also write code against and provide a protective layer against someone else's API. During my stint as a software engineer my second manager would ridicule my mad skills on UI design - more than a few times and mostly in public. He's a good friend, and I'm sure he didn't have any malice regarding this comments. Sadly those comments stuck with me - and I am pathetic at HTML and CSS because I've never learned or bothered to learn how to make something look nice. But remember when I stated above that I leveraged other people's strengths? So I've relied on a web designer to clean up my look and feel once the core functionality was in place.
Bottom line to all of this? Don't lie and accentuate what you can bring to an organization.
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