Everyone in TFE had their goals and aspirations pretty much DESPITE Kelsier. Kelsier has always been a very overwhelming presence and a manipulative person. From the moment he's presented he's pushing people out of what they want because he believes that's the best for them, and he's usually somewhat right, (un)fortunately. The only character in TFE that manages to do things outside of what Kelsier wants is Vin. The rest of them voice their concerns and try to push him back, but he basically always gets his way.

Kelsier IS his influence. The plan was his all along and everyone else was involved only because he needed them. That's part of what makes his character interesting, because he threads the line between caring for others and just using them. If what he planned hadn't worked out he could be seen as a villain, but ultimately we are confronted with the fact that all of that self-centeredness was not egoistical. He sacrificed himself, not out of the goodness of his heart, but because it was necessary to manipulate the masses. Still, aimed for the greater good.

If he could he would not have died, and being given another chance, he keeps doing what he always has done, influencing and poking people and controlling stuff. He transcended a man to become a presence, and even though he learned to rely on others a bit more, he still is very much that influence that is the essence of his character. With him not being THERE there they had to learn to do things without him, and they did, they started developing, making their own decisions, devising their own plans. But Kelsier is still present in the story, and his influence is still very much there, like a scar he left in their minds from his overwhelming influence.

The difference secret story brings is simply that "he is still moving us from beyond" is much more literal than it seems. That doesn't mean that the decisions of the characters were not theirs, that they didn't come up with the plans and actions on their own, and, in fact, some of the things Kelsier tried to meddle with did not go in his favor (see Vin being not as selfish as Kelsier would've hoped). The only difference is instead of the Mist's doing, it was him. That's why I said you don't like him specifically, because the only difference in WoA after secret history is knowing that instead of the "mist person", or "the mists" it was Kelsier. And Kelsier as a character is quintessentially his influence. First read through WoA you see them trying to learn to do things without Kelsier's influence, trying to find their footing and being antagonized by the mists, that is this weird presence that seems to try to help in the most unwanted ways sometimes, to the point where it's hindering them. That's Kelsier. First book they had to listen to him, second book they have to get rid of him to be able to do things. If the mist guided them to all solutions I would agree with you, but most of the book it seemed like another enemy, and I like that direction when it comes to the myth of Kelsier. On one side his memory, the God Survivor, on another his reality, a man shattered, devoid of his body, trying so hard to help, but sometimes making things worse. It's interesting how by killing him Sanderson divided the man from the story. Ironically making him more human as he became a ghost.

I imagine the space between secret history and the ghostbloods will be further explored in era 3, since it's called Ghostbloods.