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Kunlun, PhD | Playful Brains's avatar

Hi Andrea, thanks for the post. I like the idea that these decks work not because they’re clever, but because they show up at the right moment.

One thought your piece sparked for me is how these tools quietly externalize self-trust. When cognitive load is high, we often default to personality or habit instead of judgment. Decks seem to function as a temporary “thinking prosthetic,” allowing better decisions even when our internal resources are depleted. That feels especially relevant for leadership—not as a way to replace intuition, but to protect it under pressure.

Andrea Chiarelli's avatar

Yes, I love that way of describing the decks. They really do help when there is no space left in your mind!

Jennifer Houle's avatar

I love a deck. I have a great one I use and recommend called Decision Deck by BestSelf. It has helped guide me through some complex decision-making and I've come to really trust it. I'm also a big fan of Tarot decks 😂

Andrea Chiarelli's avatar

That's really cool, I'll check out the Decision Deck! I like the drawings on Tarot decks, but haven't used them as leadership tools (yet?) 😂

Andrew Barban's avatar

Andrea, I like this. It is a novel approach with a lot of potential, especially as a way to reduce decision fatigue and get unstuck without overengineering the process. Thank you for posting this.

Andrea Chiarelli's avatar

Thank you! That’s exactly where the power lies - and much easier to pick up than a book.