Leading through paradox: how paradoxical leadership cultivates sustainable employee engagement

Purpose This paper examines how paradoxical leadership (PL), a leadership style that integrates competing demands such as control and empowerment, stability and flexibility cultivate Sustainable Employee Engagement (SEE). Drawing on Paradox Theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) Model, the paper proposes two core resources of motivational pathways: a personal resource (PsyCap) and a job resource (MW). Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework is developed, informed by a targeted review of peer-reviewed studies on Paradoxical Leadership published between 2010 and 2025 and indexed in Scopus. These secondary sources are synthesised through narrative integration to identify underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions that link PL to SEE. Findings The analysis suggests that PL fosters SEE by simultaneously strengthening PsyCap and MW as parallel motivational routes. PL builds PsyCap by nurturing followers’ hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism in the face of paradoxical demands, and enhances MW by clarifying purpose, signalling significance and reinforcing value congruence. The framework further argues that Paradox Mindset (PM) amplifies the indirect effect of PL on SEE via PsyCap, while Trust Climate (TC) amplifies the indirect effect via MW, thereby explaining when and for whom PL is most effective in sustaining engagement. Originality/value This paper offers one of the first integrated conceptual models positioning SEE as an outcome of paradox navigation, advancing engagement theory through a multi-mechanism, boundary-sensitive perspective that combines Paradox Theory and the JD-R Model.