Somebody who knows what they're good at and makes it clear to the people who work with them is not an "insane" or even an exceptional person. They're just a self-assured and competent trades-person that's easy to work with and anticipate value from.
When I wrote about "who we're impressed" by, that's a broad category and it should includes most of us -- either now or when we finally get our shit together and stop trying to do short-term people-pleasing and mind-reading. Most of us are neither professional sycophants or professional psychics and the only way to stay sane through a 40 year career as professional engineer or other kind of technical IC is to do the good work that you can do well, make sure people know what that is, and hope that it's lined up with where the industry needs during that time.
When I wrote about "who we're impressed" by, that's a broad category and it should includes most of us -- either now or when we finally get our shit together and stop trying to do short-term people-pleasing and mind-reading. Most of us are neither professional sycophants or professional psychics and the only way to stay sane through a 40 year career as professional engineer or other kind of technical IC is to do the good work that you can do well, make sure people know what that is, and hope that it's lined up with where the industry needs during that time.