Leading questions: Nick Barton, Action on Addiction

Describe Action on Addiction's relationship with the public sector – how closely do you work together and how could this be improved? We provide residential and day treatment services from which statutory agencies purchase individual episodes or block purchase. We also provide support for families and their individual members who are affected by someone else's addiction. We work closely with the commissioning and care management system. As in any relationship, improvements are always achieved through better understanding each other's worlds. The most important thing is that clients who are passing from one part of a system to another have a coherent joined-up experience that leaves them feeling that all parts are working together for their benefit. The greatest improvement over the last couple of years has been in the preparation clients have for the next stage of their journey. You know what they say about failing to prepare. Tell us about your career progression and background? I started out as a clinical psychologist and also trained as a psychotherapist and family therapist. I initially got drawn into the addiction field on an occasional basis to help give advice about assessment, treatment planning and psychological intervention. People kept asking me to do more and more. My life was clearly taking a different turn and I went with it and I've now been working in the addiction field for more than 20 years. Clinical work has gone but my background helps in understanding a large part of the charity's work. I ended up running the treatment centre, Clouds House, then took over the charity The Life-Anew Trust, changing its name and diversifying its offering to include Families Plus and the Centre for Addiction Treatment Studies, which teaches degree-level courses in partnership with the University of Bath. I was also one of the architects of a merger of three charities in 2007 which resulted in the present incarnation of Action on Addiction. What's your management style and who or what has taught you the most about being a leader? I start from a position of believing in people and always encourage them to achieve more than they think they can. Without compromising key principles, I adjust my approach to who I'm dealing with. I'm very hot on us living the charity's values so it's up to me to set an example. I'm constantly reminding people that we exist purely for the interests of our beneficiaries. Experience has been the best and most demanding teacher. I do look for insight into leadership in some unlikely places; the writing of rugby coach Brian Ashton, for example. How will public sector cuts and changes happening in the NHS affect the way you work? I'm very keen that we remain as independent as possible from the state so that we keep entirely focused on the needs and interests of our beneficiaries rather than being blown about by political winds or the lure of statutory funding. It will make us be even more charitably focused; whenever we can, helping people who cannot otherwise access help – charity in its truest sense, as one of our trustees put it. We find the bandwagons newly circling around outcomes rather odd because those have always been our priority. We think we have a lot to offer in the new landscape of Public Health England, particularly where families of addicted people are concerned, and through our M-pact programme , which focuses on young people and children, especially those who live with addicted adults. The mental and physical health impact of addiction on families is very significant and, given the numbers involved, should indeed be viewed as a public health issue. What leadership advice would you give to people working in your sector? Retain your vocational passion but you need to wrap it up in a thoroughly professional approach. A charity is not a business in that its bottom line is benefit not profit, but it is important to be business like in order to optimise the benefit generated from the resources employed. We can no longer rely on asking people to believe that we're good – we have to be able to demonstrate that we are. There are other things of course, but one not often mentioned is giving others credit when it is due. This article is published by Guardian Professional . Join the Guardian Public Leaders Network free to receive regular emails on the issues at the top of the professional agenda.