North East business leaders carry heaviest ‘decision guilt’ study indicates

“Despite carrying more guilt around decision-making than anywhere else in the country, they’re just as confident, if not more so,” says Stephen Watts, chief operating officer of business advisors and accountants TC Group

Business owners in the North East carry more guilt than other regional contemporaries, new research suggests.

A survey of businesspeople commissioned by business advisors and accountants TC Group, which has six sites in the North East, shows regional business leaders are among the top to bear “decision guilt” when hard decisions need to be made. A third of North East respondents reported the feeling, the highest among national contemporaries.

The research, which surveyed more than 1,500 UK business leaders who are navigating the constant pace of change reshaping the business landscape. Only 1 in 8 feel fully in control of their operations, more than 60% can’t confidently plan beyond the next quarter, and 40% say political factors are the biggest challenge to their mental resilience.

Stephen Watts, chief operating officer at TC Group, said: “There’s a real resilience and optimism in the North East. Our business owners are used to navigating change, and that experience shows. Despite carrying more guilt around decision-making than anywhere else in the country, they’re just as confident, if not more so, about pushing forward.

“It doesn’t surprise us that the North East has come out highest for decision guilt. The leaders we work with are very community-driven, and are always conscious of supporting their teams, clients and customers the best they can. Many business owners are carrying decisions on people, cash flow and growth almost entirely on their own shoulders. That weight builds up, even when the business itself is performing well.”

TC Group’s report – Success without stillness: leadership in motion – paints a picture of how business leaders are clear-headed, but often only for the next immediate decision. They are said to be confident but carrying more pressure, and responsible for more but feel in control of less.

The firm’s work suggests personal growth is now the top measure of success for business owners, followed by financial success, developing people, providing family security, creating something of their own and building a long-term legacy.

Mr Watts added: “Financial success still matters, but it is no longer the only measure. For many business owners, success is also about building something sustainable, developing people, protecting family security and creating a business that still feels worth the effort.

“The strongest businesses are not those where one person carries everything alone. They are the ones where responsibility is shared, good people are trusted and the right external support is brought in at the right time.

“That is where trusted advisors can make a real difference – not by simplifying the world business owners operate in, but by helping them navigate it with better insight, stronger foundations and more confident decision-making. The road ahead will continue to shift, our job is to make sure businesses are ready to move with it.”