More than 6 in 10 business leaders in the East Midlands say they are more cautious with risk than they used to be, the highest rate of any UK region, according to new research of more than 1,500 UK business leaders. Nationally, 72% say they feel confident navigating uncertainty or another major disruption, suggesting this caution is coming from a position of strength rather than fear.

The research, which surveyed leaders navigating the constant pace of change reshaping the business landscape, found that 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.

Commissioned by business advisors and accountants TC Group, which supports business owners across the East Midlands through its 7 offices, including Northampton, Leicester, Nottingham and Derby, the research digs into the emotional and practical reality of running a business today.

It found that East Midlands leaders are leading the national shift from bold bets to calculated moves, taking a more measured approach to risk while continuing to invest in the areas they believe will drive future growth.

TC Group’s insight report, ‘Success Without Stillness: Leadership in Motion’ explores how today’s business leaders are clear-headed, but often only for the next immediate decision. They are confident but carrying more pressure. They are responsible for more but feel in control of less.

While the pressure is clear, TC Group’s research shows a business community that is progressing, adapting and finding new ways to move forward. Leaders are not retreating from change, they are planning in shorter cycles, managing decision fatigue, carrying greater responsibility and becoming more deliberate, more resilient and more calculated in how they respond.

Stephen Watts, Chief Operating Officer at TC Group, said: “What we’re seeing in the East Midlands isn’t businesses pulling back, rather that leaders are becoming more deliberate about where they place their bets. With manufacturing, logistics and a strong SME base across the region, owners here understand that a calculated risk and a reckless one are very different things.

“The leaders who do best in this environment are the ones who know which risks are worth taking and which aren’t, often with the right financial information and advice behind them. That discipline is a strength, not a retreat from ambition.”

The report finds that personal growth is now the top measure of success for business owners, followed closely by financial success, developing people, providing family security, creating something of their own and building a long-term legacy.

TC Group says this should not be read as a decline in entrepreneurial motivation, but as evidence that success itself is becoming more meaningful, more human and more complex.

Stephen 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.”

TC Group works closely with owner-managed businesses across the East Midlands, helping leaders weigh up risk with confidence and keep investing in the areas that will move their business forward.

Success Without Stillness: Leadership in Motion is available now from TC Group.