This is the most accurate comment in response to this article. I pretty much have discovered exactly the same thing over a more than 20 year career across multiple startups that had successful exits. The absolutely most important traits are accountability, honesty, and willingness to learn, if you have these three traits you will be one of the best people on your team regardless of what you do. I have these traits, and it's been why I've been successful in /many/ different kinds of roles over the years, because I am willing to be honest about what I don't know, listen and learn, and hold myself accountable for both successes and failures, and when I commit to do something I actually do it.

Unfortunately, as you said, this is pretty rare.