How to be a Star Engineer

Interesting little article I found: How to be a Star Engineer.

What the [Bell Laboratories] wanted to know was: what separates the star from the average performer? Is it innate or can star performance be learned? Could a program to improve productivity be designed that would help turn average performers into stars?

The article emphasizes making the most of non-technical skills, like building networks of people who know things, avoiding political problems, volunteering ideas and volunteering for tasks, improving themselves.

I showed it around at work: a few people thought it was very helpful.  Others that “this is advice is all good, but pretty obvious.” One woman thought it was all just talking about “a person’s natural charisma, which you either have or you don’t.” (I disagree).

What do you think?