Business ownership is often associated with freedom, control and success. But behind the headlines and the highlight reels, there’s a quieter reality many leaders experience: isolation. In fact, a recent YouGov study, in collaboration with the British Business Bank revealed nearly half (44%) of small business owners in the UK say they have felt lonely or isolated while running their business1.

“When you’re the one responsible for decisions, livelihoods and the direction of the business, it can feel like there’s no one you can truly share the weight with,” says expert business coach, James Vincent. “Most owners don’t feel lonely when they’re busy. They feel lonely when they’re carrying decisions they can’t share.”

James Vincent is performance director at the UK’s largest business coaching firm, ActionCOACH UK, and host of The ActionCOACH Podcast. Here, he explains why business owners face isolation and what they can do about it…

As someone who works closely with businesses the length and breadth of the country, I see how regularly leaders cite isolation and loneliness as one of their biggest challenges.

In a recent episode of The ActionCOACH Podcast, I sat down with entrepreneur and networking expert, Thomas Power, to explore loneliness, isolation and community and how those themes are relevant to business leaders today.

The silent pressure of business ownership
One of the biggest contributors to isolation is expectation. As the owner, you’re the one people look to for answers. Even on the days when you’re unsure, you’re expected to project certainty.

Your team look to you for stability, your clients look to you for confidence and your suppliers look to you for direction, so when difficult decisions land on your desk, there is rarely anyone above you to sense-check them with.

As responsibility increases, the number of people you can speak to openly often decreases. It isn’t personal but a structural reality of business – the more senior you become, the fewer true peers you have.

As a result, many leaders begin to filter what they share. You can’t always confide in your team because they rely on you for reassurance. At home, you may protect family from financial pressure or operational strain because you don’t want them carrying that weight.

Leadership can start to feel like absorbing stress so others don’t have to. You become the buffer, the shock absorber, the steady hand. That role matters, but when you carry it alone for too long, isolation creeps in. So, what is the solution?

Why AI and technology won’t fix it
It’s tempting to think the solution lies in technology. AI can give you information instantly, and knowing the data is always useful, but information isn’t the same as perspective.

Data can’t replace a conversation with someone who understands the emotional weight of signing off payroll. An algorithm won’t challenge your thinking with lived experience. Tech won’t call out blind spots, push back on assumptions or hold you accountable to your standards.

Business owners need more than answers. They need honest conversations, constructive challenge and shared experience. We’re wired for connection, contribution and collaboration. No system, however advanced, replaces belonging.

The courage to ask
Many business owners feel they should handle challenges alone. Reaching out for input can feel unfamiliar – even daunting.

Yet effective leadership often involves creating space for others to contribute knowledge and perspective. Leaders don’t need to hold the answer to every question – progress often speeds up when diverse thinking enters the room.

Gaining an outside perspective reflects intention rather than weakness. Building a strong support network forms part of effective leadership and helps business owners make clearer, more confident decisions.

Finding the right support
Support rarely appears by accident. It grows through intentional choices.

Start by considering who contributes to leadership thinking. Who offers constructive criticism? Who brings valuable experience? And who helps create an environment where open conversations feel safe?

Alternatively, many leaders find value in communities built around shared experience. Others benefit from working alongside business coaches or advisers who offer outside perspective and commercial experience.

Whatever form the support takes, trust sits at the centre – because with trust comes the confidence to delegate, speak openly and share challenges without fear of judgement.

You were never meant to do this alone
Leadership can feel solitary, although it was never designed to be. A powerful insight from my discussion with Thomas Power was that humans require community to function. It’s the same in business. People perform better in groups, perspective improves thinking and support strengthens leadership.

Business represents only one of the many pressures leaders navigate. Having trusted support – or being part of a community – provides value both professionally and personally.

Put simply, you wouldn’t attempt to build a business alone – you need to hire expertise, source suppliers and collaborate with partners – so why would you approach leadership any differently? Support and community are not a luxury for leaders; they are necessities for sustainable success.

To hear the full conversation with Thomas Power, tune into The ActionCOACH Podcast, and to discover how ActionCOACH works with business owners, please visit www.actioncoach.co.uk

1 YouGov & British Business Bank, Business owner survey, Dec 2025