If you’ve ever watched the markets swing wildly, you’ve seen the Fear & Greed Index in action. When fear spikes, people rush to sell. When greed takes over, people rush to buy. Two different actions, both fueled by ego.
The same dynamic shows up in leadership situations too—guarding your authority, pushing for more influence, or defending your ideas.
Fear says, “I can’t lose what I have.”
Greed says, “I must have more.”
Both come from the same belief: “I’m not safe unless…”
A Better Continuum for Leaders
Most people picture fear and greed as pulling in opposite directions. But in leadership, they sit side by side at the same end of the continuum — the ego end.
On the other end of that continuum is love-powered leadership — uplifting and connecting with grounded, expansive energy that brings you back to clarity and connection.
This difference between ego and love isn’t philosophical. It shows up in the real world every day. When you operate from fear or greed, you contract, you get smaller. When you lead with love, you’re more spacious, your impact expands. You can see the contrast clearly in how leaders respond during moments of pressure.
Window: Airbnb vs. Omnicom – Who Did It Right?
In 2020, when COVID shut down travel, Airbnb faced a brutal reality: revenue evaporated and big layoffs were inevitable. Fear would’ve pushed for silence and damage control. Brian Chesky instead led with open communication and generous severance. That’s leading with love.
Then consider what happened this month at Omnicom. In the wake of its massive merger, CEO Troy Ruhanen announced 4,000 more layoffs (right as the holidays begin)—paired with a LinkedIn post celebrating “a new chapter” and “the industry’s most comprehensive capabilities.”
Reactions came quickly, many pointing out how tone-deaf and inhumane the message was to people facing real loss.
As a leader, you’ll inevitably be faced with tough choices. When you see the clear difference between acting from ego (fear and greed), or love, you can choose consciously.
Seeing this contrast out in the world is useful. But the real power comes when you can spot these patterns inside yourself.
To help, grab this free guide to compare your gut reaction in seven classic leadership scenarios with ego-driven and love-powered responses.
Mirror – Reflection Questions
- When do fear and greed quietly shape what you might call “ambition” or “drive”?
- What does your body do when ego takes the wheel?
- Where could you move one small step from contraction toward expansion this week?
GET YOUR FREE “HOW TO SAY NO” LEADERSHIP GUIDE HERE. Set healthy limits, let go of outdated beliefs, and watch your leadership power grow. SHARE IT TOO.
Door Into Action: 5 Amare Steps to Move Past Fear & Greed
1. Start with your body. Pay attention to your inner signals, especially during high-pressure moments or when facing a big decision. Tight = Fear/Greed (ego). Spacious = clearer you.
2. Name the attachment. Say what you’re afraid to lose or hungry to gain. Just naming it loosens the ego’s grip.
3. Interrupt your ego grasping. Pause, breathe, or briefly step away to reset your nervous system.
4. Ask the Amare question. “What action here would shift the energy to uplift and connect — with myself, others, or our larger purpose?”
5. Choose one small expansion. Change the trajectory with a more honest sentence, a softer tone, a clearer boundary, or a braver decision. You choose.
Amare Team Talk
Once you begin practicing this individually, you can then bring it into your culture. At your next team meeting, invite everyone to name one recent moment when ego showed up as fear or greed — even in a subtle way. Then ask: “What would the Love (Amare) version of that response have looked like?” Keep it light, no shaming. Choose one shared shift to practice together for a week.
Your Inspirational Challenge
The moment you let go of fear and greed, you unlock a kind of freedom many leaders never fully experience — clarity, steadiness, and the confidence to act from who you truly are. You start to love being a leader again.
And that shift doesn’t stay inside you. People feel the difference instantly. Conversations get braver, teams grow stronger, organizations breathe easier, and the world around you becomes a little more grounded and loving because you chose expansion over ego.
Big Amare!
–Moshe
Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love.”
— John Lennon, activist & founder of the Beatles
Click here and read more Amare Wave Wednesday newsletters on related topics:
Be Unafraid: 3 Steps to Embrace Fearless Leadership
Why Every Single Business Exists: Here’s the Real Reason that We Forget to Even Think About
Fulfill All Your Leadership Potential by Facing & Freeing Your Deepest Fear
Hypermasculine Leadership Costs & Benefits: 7 Amare Steps to Bravely Lead with Heart & Backbone
Intuition, Instinct, and Fear: A Leader’s Guide to Knowing the Difference and Choosing Wisely
