The Hidden Symptoms of Male Loneliness
The hidden symptoms of male loneliness rarely look like sadness. They look like irritability, emotional flatness, background anxiety, overworking, drinking more, and pulling back from friendships. Most lonely men don't recognize loneliness as the underlying cause, they attribute it to stress, age, or busyness.
Why So Many Men Feel Alone (Even When Surrounded by People)
Many men carry a particular kind of loneliness that doesn't look like isolation — it looks like functioning. They go to work, raise kids, answer texts, run busy lives, and still feel that no one really knows what's going on inside them. This kind of loneliness has grown sharply as the social structures that used to produce deep male friendship such as neighborhoods, shared physical work, faith communities, civic groups, have eroded.
The Real Benefits of Joining a Men’s Team
Men are 3x more likely than women to die by suicide (CDC), and only 1 in 4 men with mental health challenges seeks treatment (APA). A men’s team isn’t a substitute for professional care but for millions of men, it’s the first structured space where they can be honest with other men. That matters.
Who Leads a Men’s Team? Dedicated vs. Rotating Leaders
Men’s teams use one of two leadership models: a dedicated leader who runs every meeting, or rotating leadership where the role passes from member to member. Both work. The right choice depends on the maturity of the team and the experience of its members.
6 Ground Rules That Make a Men’s Group Actually Work
Confidentiality. Attendance. No fixing. Here are the six ground rules that make the difference between a men’s group that lasts and one that falls apart.
What Happens in a Men’s Team Meeting? The Full Structure
A men’s team meeting typically follows four parts: opening, check-in, deeper work, and closing. Most meetings run 90 minutes to 2 hours. This structure has held up across decades of men’s groups because it balances predictability with space for real conversation.
How Often Should a Men’s Team Meet? Weekly vs. Monthly
Men’s teams typically meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. There is no single right answer — each cadence has trade-offs, and the best choice depends on where the men in the group are in their lives and how long they’ve been meeting together.
How Big Should a Men’s Group Be? The Ideal Size Explained
The ideal men’s group size is 6 to 10 men. This range is small enough that every man gets meaningful airtime in a single meeting and large enough to absorb the inevitable absence of one or two members without losing momentum.
What Is a Men’s Team? A Guide to Peer Brotherhood
A men’s team is a small, consistent group of men, usually 6 to 10, who meet regularly to support each other through honest conversation. It is not therapy, not coaching, and not a networking group. It is a structured brotherhood where men show up for each other over time.
How to Start a Men’s Team: A Step-by-Step Guide
Ready to build a men’s team? This guide provides actionable steps for starting a men's team, from defining your purpose to recruiting the right members.
The Benefits of Being on a Men’s Team
In this heartfelt and practical article, a member shares the email that started it all—and how, over decades, his men’s team became a source of insight, accountability, friendship, and growth.
My Time As Chief
At the end of August, I stepped off the Chief Council. It was an incredible learning experience and I feel both humbled and proud to have served the men of Momentum. In fact, I can directly connect my experience to some specific improvements I now have in my life. Looking back over nearly 3 years, here are some of what I’ve learned about myself and what I will continue to work on.
Transmuting Loss into Gold
My daughter, carried away with play, stumbled into and smashed a priceless family heirloom. I struggled to deal with my own conflicted feelings and teach my daughter about her carelessness and responsibility, all without crushing her with guilt. I found a way to walk the narrow path through love, guidance and hope.
Momentum Leadership Series: Lessons For and From Our Chiefs — Jerry Strebig
I stepped into this leadership role with the clear intent to bring vigorous warrior energy to balance introspection. As my leadership stint was ending, I realized I had not yet accomplished all that I had envisioned, and stepped back into leadership to finish the job. This allowed me to ultimately step down with a greater sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
The Journey Outshines the Destination
My challenging hike as part of a good team took everything I had, but rewarded me with memories that will last a lifetime.
How Men’s Teams Make Efficient, Effective Decisions
Momentum teams have been evolving and using these decision-making principles over the course of Momentum’s 30+ years. Most teams rely on three methods to achieve agreement: unanimity, decision by authority, and consensus. When these are well applied, a team spends less time deciding and more time doing.
Momentum Leadership Series: Lessons For and From Our Chiefs — Bill Burton
After participating in the founding of a men’s organization that thrives to this day, I was chosen to lead it, one of my proudest moments. Never having led before, I discovered that with the support of passionate, sincere men behind me, I could push through self-doubt and fear to accomplish great things in all aspects of my life.
Ivan’s Tools
My father Ivan was a master craftsman and difficult role model, now long retired. On a recent visit home with my parents, his insistence on giving some of his tools to me left me reluctant. I realized my discomfort was with his mortality, and mine, but honoring and carrying forward his legacy mattered much more.
Stirrings Amidst the Ruins
Seduced by the perceived glitter and riches of management, I rode the management roller coaster from giddy high to personal collapse. I painfully learned that being true to myself was the way out of the darkness.
Momentum Leadership Series: Lessons For and From Our Chiefs — Mark Thorpe
Recovering from a life-threatening health challenge propelled me to live more fully and tackle more audacious goals. I stepped into Momentum leadership to make bold changes that flew in the face of the status quo. In doing so, I learned how to declare a vision and let go of the details, and that a little creative destruction can be a good thing.