He also had the ability to manage and direct a complete design project, and proved it over the years. He didn't function that way much in my own case, but he did have the ability to understand which technologies were the ones to go with and which design efforts and techniques made sense. I could only do this when the project was very narro and basically for myself alone. It was hard for me to look at other people and create the best products for them. I could look at myself and come up with the greatest things in that regard, and it was lucky for me that the world wanted what these products led to.
Some great people are leaders and others are more lucky, in the right place at the right time.
I'd put myself in the latter category. But I'd never call myself a normal designer of anything.