I was hoping to find something concrete here but found mostly fluff (and some nice quotes, sure).
I've worked with some incredible engineers so I'm going to share what I've noticed and learned over the years:
1. They write code which elegant and easy to read (cyclomatic complexity is "magically" low).
2. They know their data structures, algorithms and use them when required -- that is, when there isn't a nice, clean implementation of something, they aren't afraid of writing their own version.
3. They write unit tests. They don't shy away from creating test infrastructure even if this means a lot of work on its own. The stuff built is then easy to use by future contributors.
4. They're aware of new features and frameworks.
5. They're generally friendly and are willing to explain stuff to others.
Most of the very best developers I have had the opportunity to work with had this quality. They are very comfortable in what they know and what they don't know.
Nearly every cocky programmer I have ever worked with were average at best. And you could never teach them anything they didn't "already" know.
I've worked with some incredible engineers so I'm going to share what I've noticed and learned over the years:
1. They write code which elegant and easy to read (cyclomatic complexity is "magically" low).
2. They know their data structures, algorithms and use them when required -- that is, when there isn't a nice, clean implementation of something, they aren't afraid of writing their own version.
3. They write unit tests. They don't shy away from creating test infrastructure even if this means a lot of work on its own. The stuff built is then easy to use by future contributors.
4. They're aware of new features and frameworks.
5. They're generally friendly and are willing to explain stuff to others.