Dr Nia D Thomas
Stabilising Charities through Calm Leadership
I help charity boards understand what is happening inside their organisation, prioritise what needs fixing, and provide the senior leadership needed to stabilise, improve and move forward.
25+ Years’ Experience
Across the NHS, civil service, local government and charitable sector supporting vulnerable children, families and adults.
Doctoral Research
A DBA in self-awareness, leadership effectiveness and leadership at all levels underpinning practice and driving excellence.
Thought Leadership
100 episodes of 'The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast': exploring self-aware leadership with thinkers from around the globe.
Working Together
Services & Tools
Find out more about how Nia can work with you, the services she provides, the skills and experience she brings, and the book, blog, podcast, journal, quiz and learning programme that support leadership excellence through the self-aware leadership toolkit.
Interim CEO
Independent C-Suite Strategy & Operations Expert
Interim C-Suite and executive leadership partnering for large and small organisations, creating measurable impact across the charitable sector.
Work with me
Valuing Care, Respect, Creativity & Learning
Working together is as much about how we do it as what we do. Let's work out how we can work effectively together.
Tools
Self-Awareness Superhighway Book, Journal, Quiz & Training
Visit the Superhighway Leadership microsite to access the research backed tools to help you discover, explore, grow and excel.
Thoughts & Ideas
The Knowing Self Knowing Others Podcast & Blog
Listen or watch the 100 episodes of the podcast discussing self-aware leadership with thinkers from around the globe. You can also sign up to the weekly blog.
Knowing self-aware leadership
Latest blog articles
Recognising Your Impact on the Blinds, Rationals, Shapeshifters and Haters
The Gods of analytics were clearly looking down on me the other day. An article from the British Medical Journal from 2022 – yes, ‘22 – appeared in my social media feed. Why that should have happened, I have no idea, but it was clearly the universe at work. So, rather than look a gift horse in the mouth, I grasped the opportunity to learn more. And do you know what? It made for very interesting reading. Join me in reflecting on the BMJ article all about Blinds, Rationals, Shapeshifters and Haters by Dr Partha Kar and how that links with my 3 layer definition of self-awareness and getting feedback from good people.
Red Flags and Rude Awakenings: Recruitment is a Two Way Street
Right now I’m looking for a new job and like lots of other people, finding the recruitment process brutal. The competition is fierce and the process feels like it’s lost its humanity. Today’s blog is inspired by Nick Thomas from Charisma Charity Recruitment who shares some great advice and puts a little bit of heart back into the process. Join me in sharing my experiences of recruitment and that reminder that actually, you’re checking them out in the same way they’re checking you out. And if you’re not, you should be!
Bullying: The Hidden Health Hazard in Your Workplace
After attending the United Against Workplace Bullying Conference 2025 last week and thinking about the powerful podcast conversations I’ve had on the topic, I wanted to share with you my worries about the rise and impact of bullying, harassment, incivility and disrespect at work. It’s a challenging subject, but an essential one, and as always, we’ll approach it through the lens of learning, curiosity and growth and work out what we, as managers and leaders can do in our daily work lives to make a positive impact.
ABOUT
Dr Nia D Thomas
A strategic, values-driven leader with more than 25 years’ experience across the NHS, civil service, local government and charitable sectors, and the researcher behind the self-aware leadership toolkit.
I am an Interim Charity Sector CEO and independent charity executive, who supports organisations to strengthen their strategy, systems, and culture in order to achieve measurable and sustainable impact. My leadership style is inclusive, practical and forward-looking, grounded in human-centred planning and improvement that ensures organisations are effective, resilient, and built for the future.
If you have an interim role or a project with which you need structured and accountable delivery, please get in touch.
Creating measurable impact across the charitable sector.
Contact me for a discovery call.