Practical card decks, conversation tools, hiring frameworks and resources designed to help busy managers handle real-world challenges — and get better results.
Not sure where to start? Most managers begin with The Leader's Toolkit.
SHOP ALL TOOLS
“Love this toolkit! It exposed areas I needed to improve and showed me how to improve them.”— Sean K.
Pick the challenge you're facing. Each tool is built for one job.
The Leader's Toolkit, the Team Conversation Deck and the Hiring Leader's Toolkit in one kit. Everything you need to lead your team, get them talking and hire well.
Nobody hands you an operating manual when you become a manager. After years leading international teams, I read the books, took the courses and condensed what actually works into simple, practical tools you can use the same day.
No theory for its own sake. Just the conversations, frameworks and habits that help real teams perform.
DonalFounder, Leader Tools
Whether it's delegating tasks or dealing with underperformance, we have a formula to solve it.
No fluff, just actionable insights. We've condensed the best leadership frameworks into a set of cards—your management cheat sheets for every challenging situation.
We walk in your shoes leading people in some of the best run companies in the world.
Overall rating: 4.7 / 5 from 102 reviews.
Fun Variety of Conversation Starters for Coworkers and Teams. I really like the idea behind these Team Conversation Chips! They're a fun and creative way to encourage conversations between coworkers and help people get to know each other better. The set comes with a convenient little drawstring bag, which makes it easy to pass the chips around and let everyone choose one. I especially like that the chips are double-sided, giving you two questions on each chip. There's also a nice variety of categories and topics, ranging from fun personal questions to discussions about work habits, collaboration, and team improvement. I read through quite a few of the chips and enjoyed the different questions. Some are lighthearted icebreakers, while others encourage more meaningful conversations. I brought these to work hoping to use them with my coworkers, but unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to try them in a group yet because our management team hasn't shown much interest in team-building activities. Even without having used them in an actual team session, I really like the concept, the variety of questions, and how easy they would be to incorporate into a meeting or casual team activity. Overall, these are a fun and thoughtful way to encourage communication and help coworkers learn more about each other.
Great Conversation Starter Chips for Tram. Really cute conversation starter for team! I really love these chips. They are 2-sided and great quality. Come with a cute catty case bag for ease.
Little Chips, Big Conversations!. These conversation chips are such a fun alternative to traditional conversation starter cards! They come in a really nice drawstring pouch with a cute design, making them easy to store, carry around, and pull out whenever you need a little conversation starter. The chips are double-sided and have some really great questions! There are four categories: Fun, Team Talk, Work Life, and About You. I love the variety because the questions can spark everything from lighthearted, silly conversations to more meaningful discussions. It's amazing what you can learn about someone just by asking the right question! We are planning to use these at our upcoming Product & Tech event, and I think they're going to spark some fantastic conversations! I especially like that they're a little different from the standard cards you typically see at these types of activities. And they're definitely not limited to larger team-building events. I can see these being great for one-on-ones, new hire orientations, team meetings, icebreakers, or even just getting to know your coworkers a little better. Such a simple concept, but with so many possibilities! I'm excited to put them to use!
Great team building exercise for remote workers. These conversation starters are a great way to kick off a remote meeting with your team. They spur storytelling and sharing. The disks have questions on both sides covering everything from ways to improve the culture in the workplace to quirky, personal questions about team members ... all of which are work appropriate. I'm looking forward to playing with these at my team's bi-monthly meetings.
Great conversation starters for the office!. I got these as a conversation starter for my team at work. For weekly team meetings, or even just in the office group chat, this gets the staff thinking and conversing. At the beginning of the meeting, I let one team member pick a card out of the bag. They read it off to the rest of the team and led the discussion at that point. It allows each member to show how their leadership skills are used in the group. Not only does this allow them to shine, but it also allows me to assess them for future promotion opportunities without them actually realizing they are being assessed. Once a week, I try to pick one of the fun chips out and type it in our staff group chat, allowing everyone to talk amongst each other and discuss their answers in a friendly, informal environment. I love how this kit has cards that may pertain to the business itself and how their work style may be, but also has some fun cards as well that make them talk about things other than just work and get to know each other as people and not just co-workers. Great option for team bonding, office meetings, events, and more!
Fun get to know you game. I’ve purchased the other game by this same company that is the card deck with the questions on it. This is a duplicate of that. But instead of it being cards, you draw the cardboard coins out of a bag with the questions on them. It comes with the bag. And it helps make it more of a game. I would rather have this than the cards.
Great Quality. Well Conceived. And Even a Little Fun.. Business icebreakers can be stupid. There, I said it. And we all hate them. Except for that one extrovert that finds every question and answer to be amazing, fascinating, and blah...blah...blah... But these are actually kind of cool (if you have to do an icebreaker) and thought-provoking. What's something you pretend to be good at? Hmm... That's a valid question, and interesting. What harmless habit makes your life more complicated? Geez. I'm going to have to use some gray matter to process that one. And those are in the "Fun" category. This is super well presented. You get color coded round cards, which hold up well to wear. You get a really nice green cloth bag to store everything in. And you get a bag full of well conceived and thought provoking questions to get people to learn more about each other, and themselves. Honestly, I don't want to be, but I am impressed. Great quality. Well conceived. And even a little fun.
Easy way to get conversations started. These chips are actually a good way to get conversations flowing. So often in group meetings, or team exercises you are grouped with a bunch of strangers. Often dreading introducing yourself and saying a little something about you. And as such, you aren't listening to what others are saying since you are trying to think about what you are going to say. With these chips, it makes it easy. They ask simple questions of a fun nature so everyone can just give a fun answer on the spot. Work safe, so there is nothing risque asked, but the good thing is, often the responses will be funny so it cuts through the tension of meeting new people. Easy to carry to any meeting or group event. The price is fair as well.
Very useful!. These leader tools team conversation chips are such a great idea for managers. My wife and her team work from home so it can be a challenge to keep everyone motivated and feel like they are being heard. They have weekly meetings on zoom so this would be an asset to motivate them and get to know each other as in what helps them to get the job done, what type of help do they need etc. There's 4 different themes to choose from, Work Life, Team Talk, Fun and About You. There's a total of 80 chips but they are double sided so you can have them choose a subject. The chips are made of thick board so you do have to take care of them, the bag that they included helps with that. They are a bit pricey for the type of material they use but I think this is something that can be used for a long time and help you as a Team Leader, Manager etc
A bit expensive. This set of Leadership cards is an interesting concept. Sometimes it’s difficult to come up with topics of conversation that sound natural and aren’t, “How about that weather?” The deck has color-coded cards that you can choose randomly or intentionally if you sort through them in advance of a meeting. A lot of the conversation starters would also work great as a journal prompt for personal journalling. Having these prompts as a deck of cards is better than lists in a book. When I’m looking at a list in a book, I tend to pick the first or second item and pass over the other suggestions. In this format, you’re picking one card and that’s all you need to look at. They’re fun to use and the questions are open-ended, exactly what you need for a proper conversation to happen. With that said, is it worth $30? I think it’s a bit expensive.
Practical but pricey. This set claims to be for hiring managers, but honestly it feels more like it should be for older students - high school and college level just entering the workforce. There's a lot of great tips included - questions, thoughts, philosophies. All of them are designed for hiring managers to use, but it can easily be reversed so that those seeking a job can know what to expect. That said, as a teaching tool it's a little pricey. The other downside is I've known a lot of hiring managers in my day, and can't think of too many who'd invest in something like this. But again, as an educational tool, I think it had a lot of merit.
A practical reference deck that helps new managers build interviewing fundamentals. The Hiring Leader’s Toolkit works best as a quick reference guide that you can keep nearby while preparing for interviews. The deck is made up of sturdy, well designed cards. The physical format is compact and easy to flip through, which makes it convenient when you want to refresh a concept without digging through a full training manual. What stands out most is how the deck introduces the fundamentals of structured interviewing in a way that feels approachable. Instead of overwhelming you with theory, it highlights practical ideas like how to shape questions that reveal real behavior, how to listen for meaningful details, and how to judge responses with more consistency. These are the kinds of habits that new managers often have to learn the hard way, so having them laid out clearly is genuinely useful. Experienced hiring managers will recognize many of the concepts, but for someone still learning how to run interviews, the deck provides a solid starting point. Overall, this is a practical tool for anyone building their interviewing skills. It offers clear guidance, a format that encourages quick learning, and a framework you can grow from as you gain confidence.
Plays it Safe. The Good – Does this team building deck off cards do anything different from other sets out there? Not really, no, but there are some minor differences that matter. I do like that each category is designed by their own color, allowing me to choose from a set that is appropriate for the setting I am in. The cards play it safe too, so there are no highly charged suggestions which could cause problems down the line. The Bad – The box the cards came in was pressed in on the corner, so the box itself is not sturdy at all. I may find a plastic box to put the cards in (and I think would make the cards that much more visually appealing). Worth the Value? – The team building cards are nothing new, having the cards broken up by type and making it easy to find cards from that type is what sets this deck apart. While the box was damaged, I still consider this set worth the value.
Learn to Hiring Basics one Card at a Time.. If you’re learning how to hire, this card deck is a helpful way to get familiar with the core ideas behind structured interviewing. It looks like a single, polished product, but once you start using it, it feels more like a compact training manual broken into cards. That format works well for quick reference. You get short, focused explanations instead of long chapters, which makes it easier to absorb the basics without getting bogged down. The content covers many of the concepts experienced managers already know, but if you’re new to interviewing, it introduces ideas most people don’t naturally think about. It gives you a sense of how behavioral questions work, why follow‑ups matter, and how to think about evaluating answers in a more consistent way. It doesn’t go deep, but it gives you enough structure to understand what good interviewing looks like and why certain approaches are more effective. The cards are sturdy and visually appealing. The size is a little awkward, and the font is small enough that anyone who uses low‑strength readers will probably need them. The small font on the card should be larger. Overall, this is a useful starter tool for someone learning to hire. It won’t replace full training, but it will give you a clear way to think about the process and expose you to concepts. It works best as a guide you keep nearby while you build your own experience.
Subjective But Really Good. I've managed all of North America for a tech company, and have had done hundreds of interviews. I'll start by saying as with any hiring method, these cards are highly subjective in use. STAR isn't generally my preference, but that doesn't mean there isn't any value in having it on flash cards. The color coding, pictures and words are very easy to read and understand. I consider these more for people who already know what they're doing rather than new HR staff. To those new to hiring it can be overwhelming or misguided because each company has difference values and goals. Overall a great idea!
Great conversation starter for teams and meetings. I was pleasantly surprised by how thoughtful these cards are. The questions go beyond simple icebreakers and actually encourage meaningful conversation, reflection, and team connection. The deck is organized well, so you can easily choose lighter prompts for warm-ups or deeper questions for team discussions or one-on-one meetings. The cards themselves feel sturdy and well made, and the color coding makes it easy to navigate depending on the type of conversation you want to have. I’ve found these especially useful for group settings where people may need a little help getting conversations started in a natural way. Some prompts will work better than others depending on the group and setting, but that’s expected with a large deck and gives you plenty of variety to choose from. Overall, a well-designed tool for managers, educators, or anyone looking to build stronger communication and engagement within a team.
A Great tool for Workplace Leadership. This conversation deck of cards is a really great way to potentially get people to open up at work and help facilitate openness in the workplace. First off, the quality of the whole set, box and cards are very good quality! The cards themselves have a nice smooth matte finish and are very sturdy and not flimsy at all. The print is crisp and colorful. There are 4 different categories of cards: Icebreakers - These have fun questions that are meant to get to know people and their personalities. It leaves room for fun. Deeper - These are meant to further explore people's personal experiences in a way that just helps you get to know them a little more. Work - These cards help to dive into individual's work experiences Teams - These questions help explore workplace culture. I think these would be a great tool for anyone in Leadership, Management, or Human Resources. If you want to get to know your employees and coworkers and strive improve workplace culture, this is a good game to begin great conversations.
Hire better by hiring better hiring managers. I’ll say this up front—I’ve never been a fan of the traditional interview process. In theory, interviews should allow candidates to show up as their authentic selves, but in reality, that rarely happens. I believe this disconnect is a big reason for employee turnover: the person hired is often not the same person who shows up to do the job. What I truly appreciate about this set is how it helps hiring managers probe more effectively beyond rehearsed, surface-level answers. It encourages better questions and promotes more meaningful, thoughtful conversations rather than scripted responses. That said, I don’t fully agree with grading individual responses strictly using the STAR methodology. In my experience, STAR often feels unnatural and forced. I’ve been instructed to use it during interviews, and it didn’t feel like it accurately reflected how I think or solve problems. This pack actually reinforces my belief that STAR is more useful for interviewers than interviewees. Practiced answers don’t necessarily reveal how someone truly approaches problem-solving in real situations. Overall, I really like this pack because it serves as an excellent foundation for starting important conversations about improving the hiring process itself. Hiring great talent is critical—but so is developing great hiring managers. The questions in this set are genuinely thought-provoking, and the flashcard format is an engaging and effective way to present the material. The content and the meaningful discussions it can inspire are well worth the price for any organization involved in hiring. I highly recommend this set!
Useful Card Deck. This set of cards provides quick resources for hiring. They are color-coded by topic and printed on both sides. They are easy to read and well-made. This appears helpful. As I look through it I sometimes think that they tried to put too much on some of the cards, making it harder to digest than if they had broken it up into bite-sized pieces a little more. Another question is why not make it into a book instead of cards? At any rate, there is some helpful information on these and the bite-sizes doses are helpful in making it easy to use. For instance, you might pull certain cards when you are writing the job description and others before you go into the interview. Overall, it is a useful card deck and the box holds the cards well.
Truly helpful without being cringey. I’m always a little skeptical of team-building tools, but these cards turned out to be genuinely useful. The four categories make it easy to pick questions based on the vibe you’re going for, whether you want something light to get people talking or something deeper that leads to real conversations. The day after getting these I used them in team meetings and one on ones, and they helped break the ice without things feeling awkward or forced. Some of the questions naturally open the door to better communication and understanding, especially with teams that have been under stress or going through changes. The cards are well made, easy to read, and simple to work into a meeting without much planning. You can pull one out and go, which I really appreciate as a manager. Overall, this is a solid, no-pressure way to get people talking and build better connections at work. Definitely worth the money if you want something practical instead of cheesy team-building activities. I highly recommend!
Warning-Don't waste your money.. I was looking for a resource for a staff person who is new to the human resource field. This is not it. First of all a box of flashcards is not a toolkit. There is so much wrong with this.I do not know where to start. I will start with the positive, they are colorful and well made flashcards. That is it. The whole concept is antiquated. I can't believe someone actually manufactured this. it is a good waste of money. I have been in executive leadership and HR for over 20 years and I have evaluated a lot of tools, resources and training materials and this is reminiscent of something from 25-30 years ago. In an age of digital platforms and Ai it is not reasonable to think anyone is going to sift through a deck of cards to find a topic to read someones quirky commentary. This is the equivalency of someone giving you a cassette player, no use for it. The concept of flash cards in 2026 is outdated. The concept of flashcaards without substantive content is even worse. There is no reference to employment laws, techniques, leadership methodolgies, resources or technology. You can get more useful information from a YouTube or Chat GPT. It is quicker, interactive and free.
Move Beyond Groups to Become a Team. First off, I know I could probably find similar things using AI and Google. But I love having a deck of cards, something tactile to use. The cards are broken up into categories: ice breakers; deeper connections; work connections; and team talk. The questions are really varied and open ended. After any question you can follow up with “why” or “tell me more” to get a more full answer and give the person more time and space to talk. I love moving past small talk and connecting with our teams. We just pop the box of cards into the middle of the table and each staff meeting someone takes a turn choosing a card and then we all go around the room and answer it. It has definitely increased our feeling of closeness and engagement. I love that we can learn more about each other and learn to bring our whole selves to work. It’s so important! Great deck of cards. So glad I got them! I’ve included some pics of the cards just to give you an idea of the questions.
Great idea, works for team environment, recommend!. My husband is a general manager for a cake infrastructure company and immediate took these to work. Before he came on the scene these folks were managed by profit and treated like numbers. Since he came on the scene everyone is so much more relaxed, less anxious and happier. And guess what? That has lead to higher profit. I also got him a prize wheel for safety because he is a huge safety guy. Anyway he knew these cards would help create an even better work environment for his team (~70 folks.) He said "these worked great this morning with the team." The functionality of the cards is therefore fantastic. The cards have a thin laminate like a deck of cards so they are well made. They're a bit bigger than I expected. This is a great idea, quality product and a great value. If you're considering this item I would recommend getting it.
Incredibly Insightful & Practical Tool for Teams!. The Team Conversation Cards are a fantastic resource for leaders, managers, HR professionals, and facilitators who want to foster meaningful dialogue within teams. These aren’t your typical icebreaker cards — the 160 prompts are thoughtfully curated to help surface real issues that teams often avoid, making conversations more honest, productive, and impactful. Whether you’re leading a workshop, facilitating a team meeting, or working on culture-building, these cards encourage deeper reflection and uncover insights that might otherwise go unspoken. They make great connection questions even outside of work. They’re mostly work-safe, respectful, and versatile enough to use in a variety of settings. I plan to use them at home and at my place of business. I noticed right away that the first card asks “what is the most ridiculous thing you believed as a child.” In my HR experience, these questions could lead to some very controversial answers. So, just know that nothing is ever 100% fool proof. What I love most is how they have the potential to help build trust and engagement — without awkwardness or cliché questions. The outcome really depends on the organizers ability to navigate the answers and dig deeper. If you care about real connection, effective communication, and stronger teamwork, this set is a must-have! 💬🤝✨
Excellent!. Excellent team building cards! There are four different categories: icebreakers, work, teams, and deeper. The work and teams cards are specific to work. The icebreaker and deeper can be used with work, friends, family, etc. I'm excited to use these with my team members. They are very thought provoking and it will help to learn about others in a fun way. Thank you!!
What I like most about this deck is that it doesn’t assume you have the luxury of a big intervention. It’s built for the reality of leadership as small, repeated moments: clarifying expectations, delegating properly and having slightly uncomfortable conversations before they become properly uncomfortable.
The Leader’s Toolkit – Essential Leadership Tools for Managers
Physical card advantage.. Our team runs a number of trainings in both virtual and in‑person settings. Every session needs some kind of icebreaker so people are engaged and not just watching another talking‑head presentation. Because we do so many sessions, we need fresh content to keep it interesting. This set has been useful for keeping things fresh. The four categories give us a good mix of light, reflective, work focused, and team focused prompts. It is easy to pick a card that fits the tone of the meeting, and the questions get people talking right away. The real value is the format. The cards are always ready with no prep, no searching, no formatting and they look professional. That are good quality printed cards. They are portable for in‑person sessions and simple to use in virtual ones. The categories make it easy to match the question to the moment. The cards hold up well and can be used again and again. They are also facilitator friendly. You can hand a card to someone else and let them lead the warmup. This set saves time, keeps engagement high, and gives us reliable material we can use across many sessions.
Good thought provoking questions in this set. About the only thing I don't like about this item is the price. But if you are looking for a good way to get your team communicating the price point is worth it. The four different card categories are really separated into two groups: work related and non-work (more personal) related. And while there are some typical ice breaker type questions in each group, there's a lot of uniqueness, to keep your team engaged. The Ice Breaker/Deeper cards have a good mx of getting a person to reflect on their background as well as their life's philosophies, but in a very thoughtful way. I think the real benefit is the work and team cards. I've been with several teams in which our leaders had us take personality tests and we shared the results. The problem has been what to do with that information. And it never benefits the team. The questions on the work/teams cards in this set help a team discover individual personalities and team personalities, as thoughtful questions make you really think about your team and work and understand how to improve the team dynamic with the individual answers. If you are a leader looking for fresh questions, get this set and incorporate it into your team meetings.
I originally bought the digital version only, but it just didn't feel right. Having the physical cards I can pull the ones I want and pair or group them with other cards to better strategize or help to see a bigger picture. As a new manager, I'm happy to know my instincts align with these cards as I was already thinking about internal wikis, feedback loops, team meetings, etc. These cards help me to manage up as well. My boss could use these cards.
The Leader’s Toolkit – Essential Leadership Tools for Managers
I like going through the deck and seeing which cards can help me address or frame certain ideas or issues. When delegating tasks, I trust that my team can do the things based on their knowing and understanding of the roles and responsibilities they have, but also understanding how their interests and skills can come into play or work in supportive or leading ways.
Great resource! I'm a sales manager and I use it daily with my team. 100% recommend grabbing a deck.
I had the opportunity to review this deck of cards, and I must say, it’s a fantastic tool for first-time leaders! I wish I had it when I first became a manager. The quality of both the material and the content is top-notch, making it immediately engaging and easy to work with. Each card covers core leadership essentials in a way that feels both accessible and impactful, which is a major plus for leaders looking to build confidence in their roles. I particularly appreciate the clear, concise nature of each concept—it’s straightforward without being overly simplified, which helps keep the focus on practical application. This would definitely be a valuable resource in any leadership development program, especially for new managers looking to establish strong foundations quickly. Overall, excellent work on creating a resource that’s both insightful and user-friendly!
A common starting point for any leadership position, is to figure out how others who succeed with the skill already do it! The Leader Tools deck has been a HUGE aid in my leadership skills improvement journey. The blueprints help me jump start improving my teams' processes, in addition to assisting me with creating a concise language around my effort.
The Leaders Toolkit is an excellent resource whether you’re a first time leader looking for no fluff actionable plans, or a seasoned leader who is looking for a quick refresher on a specific topic. It’s all the best bits of the best business books condensed into a no nonsense and easy to follow format.
A great product! Highly recommended and an excellent set of tools to use to coach better performance.
Fantastic resource for coaching an aspiring or reinforcing an experienced people manager! The material is concise, insightful with a well thought out structure that supports learning.
Cannot recommend it highly enough. It’s set up in such an easy to use way, where you can focus on the area that you need help with now, and get quick actionable steps to help immediately. If you’re a manager check it out - you won’t be disappointed.
160 Ways to Get Your Team Talking… Without Scheduling Another Meeting About Meetings!. Having spent plenty of time developing and facilitating corporate training programs, I've learned that one of the greatest challenges in any workshop isn't getting people into the room. It's getting them to actually TALK once they're there. You can assemble a room full of talented professionals, provide coffee, snacks, colorful markers, and an inspirational PowerPoint presentation, and still end up with eight people staring at each other like contestants in a hostage negotiation. That's where these Team Conversation Chips with 160 conversation starters can come in handy. They're a simple, accessible way to get people interacting, sharing perspectives, and occasionally discovering that the quiet person from Accounting actually has a personality beyond spreadsheets and quarterly reports. The collection is geared toward workplace conversations, team building, one-on-one discussions, meetings, and employee engagement activities. From a training facilitator's perspective, I see plenty of opportunities to incorporate these prompts into larger exercises. They could work nicely as opening icebreakers, discussion starters between activities, or quick conversation exercises designed to help participants become more comfortable with one another. I particularly like having a ready-made assortment of questions available when a workshop needs a little extra energy or when a group discussion needs a gentle push in the right direction. That said, I wouldn't consider these a standalone team-building experience. There's no substantial game structure or particularly innovative activity here. They're conversation prompts, plain and simple, and their effectiveness depends heavily on how they're introduced and facilitated. Four stars because these are useful tools for someone who already knows how to build an engaging training session, but they're not going to transform an ordinary meeting into a spectacular team-building event all by themselves. In the hands of a capable facilitator, they can be a welcome addition to the toolbox, especially when you need a quick activity that doesn't require elaborate preparation. For managers looking for occasional discussion prompts, they can also be helpful. Just don't expect 160 questions to substitute for thoughtful program design. Think of these as the seasoning in a good corporate training recipe. Used properly, they add flavor. Dump the entire container onto the table and announce that you've invented a gourmet meal, and you're probably going to have some very unhappy diners. Or worse, another meeting to discuss why the first meeting didn't work.
Useful conversation prompts, but easy to lose the pieces. These are a fine set of conversation starters for team meetings, icebreakers, or group discussions. I like the concept of having prompts ready to go, especially for facilitating conversations at work. My main complaint is the format. The individual chips are small and easy to misplace, which makes keeping the full set together a little annoying. The idea is good, but I think cards or a more organized storage system would be more practical for regular use.
Inexpensive way to make meetings better. These conversation chips have been a big hit at meetings I’ve led recently. The bright colored green bag is convenient not only for having people pass it and pull out a chip, but also for storage. I threw the box away. The font on the cards is easy to read and there’s a great variety of questions. I like that the chips are categorized so that I can easily remove topics that don’t fit the meeting. For example, I sometimes just use the fun category for icebreakers. The included questions have proved to be great conversation starters and make for better meetings. I wish that a few blank chips had been included so I can make up some custom questions, but that’s a minor quibble. This is such an easy and inexpensive way to make meetings better.
