“How to Recognize You Have a Secret Mission (Before It’s Too Late)”
Because scribbling midnight master plans on sticky notes—and never telling your team—doesn’t magically make success happen.
Have you ever had that 2 a.m. epiphany—where you jump out of bed, scrawl a genius 47-step roadmap on a coffee-stained napkin, and think, “This is it! We’re going to conquer the galaxy!”—then promptly forget to mention it at Monday’s staff meeting?
If so, congratulations: you might be harboring a secret mission. And trust me, no one on your team has a clue you have it.
So how do you know for sure if you’re carrying around some hidden agenda that’s about to sabotage your well-meaning employees? Let’s break down the not-so-subtle signs you’re living a double entrepreneurial life—and how to survive it.
1. Checklist: Are You Crazy? Or Just Secretly Ambitious?
Sometimes, diagnosing a secret mission is half the battle. Here are some can’t-miss clues:
Napkin confessions:
You find weird diagrams stuffed in your pockets. Scribbles that say things like:
Step 1: Disrupt major competitor’s supply chain.
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit.
You might think you’ve told your team the plan, but you actually told no one but your latte.
Crickets in Slack/Teams:
The moment you type “I have an idea…” does your entire channel ghost you. People log off suspiciously.
That’s a sign they suspect you’re about to unleash a cosmic-level project they’ve never heard of—and they’re running for the digital hills.
Chronic eye rolling:
Maybe you casually mention, “We need a new marketing platform,” but staff is rolling their eyes because they sense you’re really building a Trojan Horse to pivot the entire company.
Meanwhile, you keep dropping vague hints: “Wait till they see the real reason I want that marketing software…”
Recurring employee confusion:
People keep telling you, “Uh, didn’t know that was important…” or “I thought that was your priority? Now you want us to do this?”
If you’re perpetually frustrated they can’t read your mind, guess what? You may be harboring a secret mission.
2. Self-Diagnosis: Pinpointing the Silent Assumptions
The biggest giveaway that you have an unspoken master plan? Recurring friction.
Here’s how to spot it in your interactions with your team:
Same fights, different day:
If your team keeps failing to deliver your (not-so-) brilliant idea, check if you ever actually explained the scope. Often, the friction is from them not knowing you have bigger expectations.
You’re 80% sure they’re psychic:
A big red flag: you assume staff can “guess” or “infer” your real aim.
They can’t. People rarely sign up to be a mind reader (that job description would get interesting).‘Why are they so stubborn?’:
If you keep calling them “stubborn,” they might just not realize why you want them to adopt your new system or pet project. Is there a method to the madness? Is there a reason, or is it just a whim?
No one invests in an idea if they don’t get the endgame.
Density problem:
If you ever think, everyone around you is stupid, or that someone isn’t adding value…
Stop, collaborate, and mission. Have you actually told them their secret mission? If not, it’s not them… it’s you.
Reality check: If these patterns are cropping up all over your organization, it’s probably you—and that hush-hush agenda swirling in your head.
There’s a reason why you know the names of all the smart people throughout history: they communicated their ideas clearly. If you don’t communicate your ideas clearly, you might not be as smart as you thought.
Good ideas die when they aren’t communicated clearly.
3. Time to Confess… Even if It’s Embarrassing
So, you’ve realized you have a secret mission. Crap. Now what?
Tell your team. Straight up. If you’re nervous, here are a few comedic ways to do it:
“Guys, you might think I’m insane, but here goes…”
Leading with humility and a bit of humor helps. “I have this plan—some might call it ‘crazy talk’—but I want your help turning it into reality.” Let them weigh in, poke holes, and refine.
Call it an ‘experiment’
“I have an experimental direction I want to explore. Might be bananas, might be genius.” This framing invites collaboration instead of imposing a top-down shocker.
Silly job titles
If you’re scared people will freak out, lighten the moment. “Welcome, folks, to the first meeting of The Galactic Overlord Council. I’m the Overlord. You’re the Rebellion. Let’s talk.” Cheesy? Yes. Disarming? Also yes.
Ten X. Hundred X.
When you want to do big things, it helps if you’re not the only person dreaming big. Help your team see the bigger picture, too.
Sometimes, the best exercise here is simply asking, “What if we scaled 10 or 100 times bigger than we are? What would we need to change? How would we approach the problem differently?”
Yes, you might face some initial skepticism. But trust me, the clarity you gain is worth that momentary awkwardness. People want to help you achieve your big dreams once they know what they are.
4) My Own “Aha!” Moments of Guilt
I once spent months quietly orchestrating a giant pivot. I’d jotted dozens of product ideas in a notebook, 3D-chess-level expansions, but never actually spelled it out for my leads. They thought we were doing “minor product enhancements.”
Meanwhile, I was fully planning to spin up a brand-new line of business. Cue frustration, confusion, and me complaining, “Why is no one prepared?”
Because I never told them what to prepare for! That day, a wise colleague said, “Kirk, next time, you might try saying that out loud,” and my meltdown ended with a sheepish grin and an apology.
Another time, I realized I had an entire marketing rebrand in my head. My staff only knew about “logo tweaks.” Meanwhile, I wanted a full pivot—new messaging, expanded footprint, maybe a new line of wine (yes, it’s me we’re talking about).
Surprise! No one read my mind. They were pushing back on the simplest changes, while I was internally raging that no one was “buying into my vision.” A single conversation where I spilled all the beans drastically changed the buy-in level.
Why Sharing Your Vision Matters
If you keep missions locked in your skull, your employees never see the full scoreboard. They’ll keep kicking the ball, but never know which goal they’re supposed to aim for. That leads to wasted energy, repeated friction, and a founder ready to spontaneously combust from repressed exasperation.
So do yourself—and your team—a favor. Next time you realize, “Wait, I’m expecting them to do a big insane shift,” ask:
“Have I told them that part? Have I explained why?”
If not, open your mouth. Or Slack. Or get comfortable with interpretive dance.
However you do it, share the hidden mission before the meltdown sets in.
Spoiler: They might actually get excited about it. And if they think you’re crazy, at least you’ll have clarity. You can adjust, refine, or realize you need to talk more about why you want the pivot.
But step one? Confess. And maybe buy coffee and donuts. Bribes never hurt.
The Bottom Line
If you’re up at 2 a.m. scribbling the next mega-vision on a Starbucks napkin and haven’t explicitly told your crew, you probably have a secret mission. Name it, claim it, and share it—before you wonder why no one’s building that Trojan Horse to topple a Fortune 500 giant.
Next, we’ll dive into a powerful framework for actually mapping out that mission so your team isn’t left in the dark: the 30-60-90 plan. Because if you don’t put it on paper and set real timelines, your “master vision” remains a doodle in your half-asleep imagination.
Until then, keep those napkins handy—but maybe show them to someone this time, yeah?
Disruption with a side of humor—
Kirk Drake
