The Emotion Wheel: A Tool For Understanding Your Emotions

The Emotion Wheel, also known as Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions, is a tool for helping individuals better understand their emotions.

Psychologist Robert Plutchik developed it, and it illustrates the relationships among emotions.

The wheel is structured so that similar emotions are located near each other while opposite emotions are positioned across from each other.

Conversely, leadership is the ability to guide, influence, and inspire a group of people towards achieving a common goal. It involves understanding oneself, others, and the dynamics that arise when these entities interact.

Understanding the Emotion Wheel can be a powerful tool for leaders.

It can help them understand their own emotions, the emotions of their team members, and how these emotions can impact the team’s performance and the overall organizational culture.

Why Understanding the Emotion Wheel is Important

1. Self-awareness: Understanding the Emotion Wheel helps leaders become more self-aware. It allows them to identify and understand their emotions, the first step towards emotional intelligence.
2. Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is a crucial skill for leaders. It involves understanding and managing one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. The Emotion Wheel can help leaders develop this skill.
3. Improved Decision-Making: Emotions can significantly impact decision-making processes. By understanding the emotion wheel, leaders can make more informed and rational decisions.
4. Conflict Resolution: Understanding the Emotion Wheel can help leaders identify and understand the emotions involved in conflicts, which can lead to more effective conflict resolution strategies.
5. Enhanced Communication: The Emotion Wheel can help leaders communicate more effectively by helping them understand the emotional context of their communication.

Primary Emotions on the Emotion Wheel

Primary emotions are the basic, instinctual emotions that are the foundation for all other emotions.

They are universal and are experienced by people regardless of cultural, societal, or geographical differences.

On the Emotion Wheel, there are eight primary emotions, each with its opposite:

1. Joy: This is a positive emotion characterized by happiness or satisfaction. Its opposite on the wheel is sadness.
2. Sadness: This is a negative emotion characterized by feelings of loss, despair, or grief. Its opposite on the wheel is joy.
3. Trust: This is a positive emotion characterized by a sense of reliability or confidence in someone or something. Its opposite on the wheel is disgust.
4. Disgust: This is a negative emotion characterized by a strong aversion or revulsion towards something. Its opposite on the wheel is trust.
5. Fear: This is a negative emotion characterized by a sense of danger or threat. Its opposite on the wheel is anger.
6. Anger is a negative emotion characterized by irritation or annoyance toward someone or something. Its opposite on the wheel is fear.
7. Surprise: This is a neutral emotion characterized by an unexpected event or situation. Its opposite on the wheel is anticipation.
8. Anticipation: This is a neutral emotion characterized by looking forward to a future event or situation. Its opposite on the wheel is surprised.

Secondary Emotions on the Emotion Wheel

Secondary emotions are those that develop from primary emotions. They are more complex and are often influenced by personal experiences, social expectations, and cultural norms. On the Emotion Wheel, secondary emotions are found between the primary emotions. Some examples include:

1. Optimism: This emotion lies between anticipation and joy. A positive outlook and an expectation of favorable outcomes characterize it.
2. Love is an emotion between joy and trust. It is characterized by deep affection and care for someone or something.
3. Submission: This emotion is found between trust and fear. It is characterized by the willingness to yield or surrender to someone or something.
4. Awe: This emotion lies between fear and surprise. It is characterized by reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
5. Disapproval: This emotion lies between surprise and sadness. It is characterized by dissatisfaction or disagreement with someone or something.
6. Remorse: This emotion is found between sadness and disgust. It is characterized by deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.
7. Contempt: This emotion is found between disgust and anger. It is characterized by disdain or lack of respect for someone or something.
8. Aggressiveness: This emotion is found between anger and anticipation. It is characterized by a readiness or inclination to confront or attack.

7 Tips for Using the Emotion Wheel to Get to Know Yourself as a Leader

1. Identify Your Emotions: Use the Emotion Wheel to identify your feelings at any moment.
2. Understand the Source of Your Emotions: Once you’ve identified your emotions, try to understand what’s causing them.
3. Reflect on Your Emotions: Reflect on how your emotions affect your thoughts, decisions, and actions.
4. Practice Emotional Regulation: Use the Emotion Wheel to help you manage and regulate your emotions and interpersonal skills.
5. Understand Others’ Emotions: Use the Emotion Wheel to help you understand the emotions of your team members.
6. Use Emotions to Foster Positive Interactions: Use your understanding of emotions to foster positive interactions within your team.
7. Continual Learning: Keep using the Emotion Wheel to deepen your understanding of emotions and how they impact you and your team.

4 Best Practices About Using the Emotion Wheel as a Leader

1. Check-in with Your Emotions Regularly: Make it a habit to check in with your emotions regularly using the Emotion Wheel.
2. Promote Emotional Literacy in Your Team: Encourage your team members to use the Emotion Wheel to understand their emotions.
3. Use the Emotion Wheel in Conflict Resolution: Use the Emotion Wheel to identify and understand the emotions involved in conflicts.
4. Integrate the Emotion Wheel into Your Leadership Style: Make the Emotion Wheel a part of your leadership style. Use it to guide your interactions, decisions, and strategies.

Conclusion

The Emotion Wheel is a powerful tool that can help leaders become more self-aware, develop emotional intelligence, make better decisions, resolve conflicts more effectively, and communicate more effectively.

By understanding and using the Emotion Wheel, leaders can enhance their leadership skills and foster a more positive and productive organizational culture.

Catherine Fitzgerald B.A. M.A. PGDip( Founder )

With 30+ years of training experience, I founded Oak Innovation (oakinnovation.com) in 1995. I help busy training professionals and business managers deliver better training courses in less time by giving them instant access to editable training course material. I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from University College Cork. I hold qualifications in Professional Development And Training from University College Galway. Clients include Apple, Time Warner, and Harvard University.