Picture this: You’re a mountain biker riding your favorite trail when suddenly a black bear bursts from the trees and starts chasing you. 

Instead of stopping to think, your motivation to move kicks in big time! Muscles tense, heart thunders, your vision narrows. You pedal with a focus you’ve never felt before. The bear pursues at full sprint, getting closer and closer until, with a fresh burst of adrenaline, you pull away and make it down the mountain safely. 

When Motivation Finds You

We all have moments when we’re not highly motivated—until something external comes along. A competitor blitzes your field. A major client walks. Your culture cracks. Suddenly, your body—and mind—shift dramatically into super-high motivation mode. 

That’s when your primal survival wiring lights up: the amygdala triggers, adrenaline and dopamine surge, focus narrows, action accelerates. Your motivation is in high gear. You are fired up!

The truth is that in modern leadership, a) we rarely have literal bears chasing us, and b) you don’t need a crisis to access your highest gear. 

The real leadership question is: How can you access that kind of powerful energy intentionally—without needing a bear at your back? You simply need the proper alignment of purpose, connection, and clarity.

I gamified this at home with my kids: when they said they couldn’t finish homework, I’d ask, “If I gave you a million dollars, could you?” They always said yes. 

It wasn’t the million that changed anything (I never actually paid them!)—it was the shift in perceived value and urgency.

Mirror – Reflection Questions

• What would make you pedal faster—purpose, urgency, clarity, or pride?
• What “bear” is lumbering in your business or within you right now: a missed opportunity, a slipping culture, or a silent competitor?
• How can you access that surge of motivation without waiting for something to chase you?

Lead with Motivation That Moves People

Want to lead a team that stays motivated without needing a crisis to spark action? The way you activate energy shapes everything—from focus to performance to culture. If you’re ready to replace fear-driven urgency with purpose, clarity, and love-powered leadership, reach out today to explore how coaching can help you build a workplace where motivation comes from within.

Door into Action – 7 Amare Ways to Kick Your Motivation into High Gear

1. Move first to get motivated. Initiate action even if the spark is weak—motion often ignites motivation.

2. Name your deeper why. Before beginning a task, ask: “Who or what benefits from me doing this well?” Connect to that.

3. Simulate stakes. Create an imagined “bear” survival scenario: Really see it and feel it. Get your other senses in on the action, too. Then act accordingly.

4. Use the million-dollar test. Ask yourself or your team: “What would make this task feel like if it were worth a million (or billion)?” Then get to work.

5. Break into micro-bursts. Set a short timer (15–20 minutes) and commit to deep focus. Neuroscience research has demonstrated that short wins tip dopamine in your favor.

6. Lead from love, not fear. Fear can start the sprint; love, purpose, and connection keep you in the race. Be in love.

7. Debrief your surges. After you’ve had a high-focus stretch, ask: “What triggered this energy? How can we replicate it (without a crisis)?” Build that recipe.

Amare Team Talk

At your next team huddle, ask each person: When have you performed at your peak in a crisis? And without a crisis—when you moved fast because meaning and clarity drove you? Next, brainstorm ways to replicate those conditions in your work rhythm moving forward.

Your Inspirational Challenge

Your brain is wired to save your life—and you can rewire it to enliven your life. Don’t wait for fear to flip the switch. Instead, use love, purpose, and clarity to activate that same neuro-energy. That’s how you summon the same surge of focus and clarity—without the panic.

The Amare Way of love-powered leadership transforms intention into action and pressure into purpose. So, when motivation feels distant and you’re feeling flat, remember: you already have access to a higher gear. 

The only thing you need to outrun is your own hesitation. Use your inner power not just to escape danger, but to pursue what truly matters.

Get fired up!

–Moshe

Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.” 

— Zig Ziglar, American author

   

Click here and read more Amare Wave Wednesday newsletters on related topics:

Stop Ruminating, Start Savoring: A 5-Step Mindful Shift for Leaders

Southwest Airlines’ Slow Fade from Greatness into Sameness: A Leadership Lesson in What Not to Lose

6 Powerful Steps to Lead with Ambition and Not Let Greed Take Charge

How Clear Expectations and Accountability Fuel Organizational Success: Start With These 6 Steps

4 Steps Toward Great Leadership That Make the Most of You

   

Original article published on Inc.com.