{"id":3321,"date":"2013-09-02T17:35:32","date_gmt":"2013-09-03T00:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scottcochrane.com\/?p=3321"},"modified":"2013-09-23T20:16:16","modified_gmt":"2013-09-24T01:16:16","slug":"could-a-lesser-mission-be-hijacking-your-primary-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottcochrane.com\/index.php\/2013\/09\/02\/could-a-lesser-mission-be-hijacking-your-primary-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Could a Lesser Mission be Hijacking Your Primary Mission?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally posted February 22, 2011<\/em><\/h1>\n
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With the NFL season about to get underway, I thought it was an appropriate time to look back on a post where an issue facing the National Football League’s commissioner carried a huge lesson for leaders everywhere.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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ROGER GOODELL\u2019S MOMENT: The NFL commissioner is the most powerful man in sports, presiding over the most lucrative league in the world. His job right now is to stop it from all falling apart.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The message on the cover of the recent\u00a0Sports Illustrated<\/em>\u00a0issue contains a powerful reality check for every leader.<\/p>\n

What is Goodell\u2019s moment? It\u2019s not connected to his primary mission (building and promoting the game of professional football). It\u2019s connected to a lesser mission (divvying up billions of dollars in league revenues among millionaire owners and millionaire players).<\/p>\n

Goodell\u00a0must<\/em>\u00a0pay attention to how league revenues are doled out. That\u2019s just not his primary mission.<\/p>\n

In other words, Goodell\u2019s primary mission could be hijacked by a lesser mission.<\/p>\n

And this prompts a question that every leader should consider; \u201cAre lesser missions hijacking me from my primary mission?\u201d<\/p>\n

There are church leaders who first arrived at their post with a vision to see their church \u201cimpact their community for Christ\u201d, but whose defining moment ends up being about replacing the pews with theatre-style seats.<\/p>\n

There are church leaders whose vision is to see \u201cevery person grow into the image of Christ\u201d, but whose defining moment ends up being adding a Saturday night service.<\/p>\n

Lesser missions are neither inappropriate nor unimportant. But they can easily preoccupy a leader and take focus off the primary mission.<\/p>\n

How can you tell if your primary mission is being hijacked? Here are a few warning signs I\u2019ve learned from great leaders:<\/p>\n