This is the first thing I look for in candidates. Ability to ask questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question, there is no such thing as asking too much

This is the first thing I look for in candidates. Ability to ask questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question, there is no such thing as asking too much (almost). The most confident and able developers I worked with were those who felt free to say "I lost you at your first sentence". I think that it is the explainer's responsibility to explain it in a way that will be 1) understood by others 2) not intimidating, so if it's not understood, people will still feel they can ask. Crafting an explanation in a way that others can follow is one of the most powerful and useful skills a developer or manager can strive to achieve, not just the ability to understand others who don't have this skill. E.g. if I hear "I don't understand" I don't think "ok, this person is not getting it", but rather "my explanation should be better"