The Stress and Pressures of Being a CEO and Business Owner

I write this as I navigate one of the most challenging weeks since joining P3 Business Care in 2019. From the very beginning, P3 has been more than a business to me—it has been a ministry and a calling. Yet carrying a calling does not shield you from the realities of leadership, or from the challenges of life itself.

One of the greatest privileges of leading P3 is the opportunity to build and work alongside a team of committed people. However, managing staff is also one of the most challenging aspects of leadership. Each individual brings their own gifts, perspectives, and needs. At times, I have had to make decisions that were not universally welcomed. I have been told that I did not show enough love and grace. Those words are difficult to hear, especially because my faith calls me to lead with both. Yet leadership often means making decisions that are not popular, even when they are necessary. It requires balancing grace with truth, compassion with accountability, and carrying the reality that sometimes, people will not fully understand your motives or your heart.

Alongside these leadership challenges, I have also been walking through a deeply personal battle—my third recurrence of cancer. The treatment has been demanding, and as I await the post-treatment results, the weight of uncertainty is never far away. Cancer does not operate on a timetable. It disrupts routines, drains energy, and brings with it a constant undercurrent of “what if?” While I carry the illness physically, I know my wife and family carry it emotionally. Their worry, their faith, their resilience—it is both humbling and heartbreaking to witness the pressure my journey places on them.

The truth is, leadership is already a lonely road. As a CEO, people look to you for steadiness, for direction, and for confidence. Yet behind the scenes, you wrestle with doubts, second-guess your decisions, and feel the heavy weight of responsibility. Cancer amplifies that pressure. There are nights when sleep is hard to find, when questions swirl: Did I make the right call? Did I show enough care? Will the results bring relief or another battle? How much more can my family take?

It is in these moments that my Christian faith becomes not just important, but essential. I hold onto the truth that P3 Business Care is not mine—it belongs to God. I am a steward of the vision He has entrusted to me. When my strength falters, I lean on His. When criticism stings, I remember that my ultimate accountability is to Him. My prayers in this season are simple but heartfelt: Lord, give me wisdom. Help me to love well. Help me to stand firm. Carry what I cannot.

Faith does not remove the stress or make the decisions easier, but it reframes them. It reminds me that leadership is not about perfection—it is about faithfulness. It calls me to keep showing love, even when it is not recognised, and to trust God with the outcomes of both my leadership and my health.

Being a CEO and business owner is demanding, exhausting, and often lonely. Facing cancer alongside it intensifies every pressure. Yet through it all, I hold onto this unshakable truth: I am not alone. God is with me. He called me to this work, and He will sustain me—for my team, for my family, and for the people we are here to serve.

To every leader reading this: I know the road can feel lonely, the decisions heavy, and the responsibility relentless. But you are not alone. Like me, you can draw strength from your faith, courage from your calling, and hope from the knowledge that what you do matters. Even in the hardest seasons, leadership has the power to bring light, lift others, and make a lasting difference.

About P3 Business Care

P3 Business Care help save lives! Operating across the UK and other global regions. Supporting your business every week we provide personal and proactive care to your employees and immediate family working in partnership with the company. Our Business Partners visit your business to develop personal trust & relationships so we can proactively identify and address issues before they become crisis, absence, or staff turnover. Read more about our services here