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Welcome Back,

Issue #122 – February 17, 2026

This week carried two significant moments.

Yesterday, February 16, was Presidents Day a national day set aside to reflect on leadership in its most visible form.

Tomorrow, February 18, marks the beginning of Lent, 40 days of intentional reflection, discipline, and preparation that millions of Christians observe before Easter.

One moment looks outward at leaders who shaped nations. The other turns inward and asks what you're willing to surrender for something greater than yourself.

Together, they give us a complete frame for this month's AFGM theme.

Leadership.

Not the kind on a résumé. The kind that costs you something.

Let's GO!

Growth Spotlight: What Good Leadership Actually Looks Like

We use the word "leader" so often that it's starting to lose its weight.

Coaches are leaders. CEOs are leaders. Elected officials are leaders. But titles and platforms don't automatically make someone worth following. History is full of powerful people who left their communities worse than they found them.

So what does good leadership actually look like when you strip away the title?

It looks like knowing when to step back.

George Washington could have made himself king. After the Revolutionary War, the idea was genuinely on the table. He declined. He stepped down after two terms and went home. That decision was countercultural for 1797, and it still shapes how American democracy functions today.

Real leaders don't cling to the seat. They use the seat to prepare someone else to sit.

 It looks like choosing discipline over comfort.

Lent begins February 18. For those who observe it, the season is 40 days of fasting, prayer, and giving something up. Not because suffering is the goal, but because discipline reveals what you're actually made of.

Leadership demands the same thing. You don't find out what a leader is built on when things are going well. You find out when it's inconvenient. When the commitment requires sacrifice. When no one's watching, it's easy to cut corners.

 It looks like consistency in the dark.

Here's the question worth sitting with this week:

Do you lead the same way when no one is watching?

At AFGM, we say development is a personal journey. The young men we mentor are not listening to our speeches. They're watching our lives. They're studying how we handle hard conversations, setbacks, and moments when we could easily walk away.

The season of Lent is a good time to audit that. Not for show. For real.

 It looks like raising others up, not just raising yourself.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery and became one of the most powerful voices in American history. But he didn't stop at his own freedom. He used his platform to advocate for women's suffrage at a time when that was deeply unpopular, even within his own circles. He led when it cost him something.

That's the model. Not leadership that accumulates. Leadership that distributes.

 The real test of leadership is what you do for others when you could easily do nothing.

 That's the standard we hold at A Few Good MENtors. Mentoring isn't a feel-good program. It's a commitment to consistently show up for young men who are still figuring out who they are. That is leadership in its most direct form.

Michael’s Hot Take: The Leader in the Mirror

Here's what I want you to sit with this week.

Presidents' Day celebrates people who have run nations. The Lenten season asks what you're willing to give up in order to grow. Both are necessary.

I've spent time in rooms with “important” people throughout my career, in the FBI, in civic organizations, and in nonprofit leadership. And I've consistently seen the same thing: the leaders whose influence outlasted them were not the ones most impressed with themselves.

They were the ones asking: Who needs what I have? What do I need to let go of in order to lead better? How do I leave this better than I found it?

That's the question I bring to AFGM every week. Every newsletter I write, every event we plan, every mentor we recruit is an answer to that question.

Lent is a season of surrender. You give something up. You create space. You use that space to grow closer to what matters most.

Leadership asks for the same thing. Not your weakness. Your willingness. The willingness to put something down so you can pick up something better.

If you're reading this and wondering whether you have what it takes to lead, here's my answer: you do. But it will cost you something. Your comfort. Your time. Your preference.

Pay it. It's worth it.

Your mentee doesn't need a perfect leader. He needs a present one.

Parent Insight of the Week

At dinner or on the drive this week, ask your son or daughter:

"If you gave up one habit or distraction for 40 days, what would change about your life?" 

Let them think through it. Don't rush to the answer. Then ask the follow-up:

 "What's stopping you from doing that right now?"

That second question is where leadership development actually lives. Anyone can talk about what they'd do. Leaders practice what they commit to.

Try This With Your Mentee

Ask your mentee:
"Who is a leader you respect, and what did they have to give up to lead well?"
Push past the obvious answers. If he names an athlete, ask what sacrifices that person made off the field. If he names a parent or pastor, help him see the discipline behind the relationship.

Then flip it:

"What's one area in your life where you're already leading, even if you haven't called it that?"
Help him name it. Owning your identity as a leader is often the first step toward growing into it.

Watch & Learn

Dr. Myles Munroe explains that secure leaders are driven by purpose, not ego or position. They lead with character, build others up, and focus on legacy instead of control or approval.

Are you leading from confidence and clarity, or from the need to be validated?

Upcoming Events

MUSIC BINGO NIGHT IS HERE!!

Pull up for a night of good vibes, great music, and an even better cause 

Join A Few Good MENtors for Music Bingo Night, where great music, nostalgia, and friendly competition meet, and the community comes together!

Saturday, March 14, 2026
6:00–10:00 PM (21+)
Mulligan’s Pub on the Green | Fairfax, VA

AFGM Engagement Hour | 6:00–7:00 PM
Arrive early. No pressure. Just good conversation, light apps, and a chance to connect.

Tickets are available now.
Can’t attend? Donations & sponsorships welcome!

AFGM 5K Youth T-Shirt Design Contest — Now Open!

Calling all youth artists! A Few Good MENtors is inviting young creatives ages 10–18 to design the official t-shirt for our upcoming AFGM 5K Fun Walk/Run on June 27.

🖌️ The winning design will be featured on the event shirt and worn by participants across the community!

✅ Open to ages 10–18
🎨 Community voting will determine the top 3
🏆 Winner selected by AFGM’s review panel
💰 Grand prize valued at $250

🗓️ Submit your design by February 28
🔗 bit.ly/afgm5kdesign

Let’s see your creativity shine — and wear your work with pride this summer!

AFGM Signature Events for 2026

These events mark our year of movement and momentum.

• AFGM 5K Run/Walk — June 27, 2026

• AFGM Brotherhood Awards Luncheon — September 12, 2026

Sponsorship Opportunity

We are seeking sponsors and partners for all 2026 signature events.
If you know a business or organization that invests in boys, families, and mentorship, connect them with us.

Email: [email protected]

That’s it for this week.

This is the Year of Movement and Momentum.
Every step matters.
Thanks for moving with us. Please share this newsletter with friends and family.