A point of view you can defend

The trait that separates influential designers from overruled ones has nothing to do with visual skill.

The designers I respect most share one trait that has nothing to do with visual skill.

They have a clear point of view on how things should work, and they can defend it.

Not defensively. Not arrogantly. But with enough conviction that when someone pushes back, the response isn't "okay, what do you want?" It's "here's why I made this choice, here's the tradeoff, here's what changes if we go the other direction."

Strong opinions held lightly. Rooted in user understanding, not personal taste.

That's the difference between a designer who gets overruled constantly and one who shapes the product.

Design judgment is a muscle. You build it by having opinions and testing them against reality. Repeatedly.