Unravelling the Mindfulness–Innovation Paradox: A Cognition–Motivation–Paradox Model of Digital Leadership

As organizations navigate rapid digital transformation, leaders must reconcile the cognitive demands of technology with the emotional needs of employees. Drawing on Upper Echelons Theory (UET), Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and paradox theory, this study develops and tests a Cognition–Motivation–Paradox Integration Model (CMPIM) explaining how digital leadership fosters frontline service innovation through dual psychological mechanisms—creative self-efficacy (competence-based cognition) and sense of belonging (relatedness-based emotion). Two multi-wave, time-lagged studies in Malaysia’s hospitality sector (Study 1: N = 370; Study 2: N = 302) reveal that digital leadership enhances service-innovative behavior directly and indirectly through both mechanisms. Findings show that mindfulness serves as a paradoxical boundary condition: it strengthens the cognitive pathway from creative self-efficacy to innovation but weakens the emotional pathway from sense of belonging to innovation, demonstrating a Mindfulness–Innovation Paradox. The findings advance UET by recognizing micro-foundational mechanisms connecting leader cognition to employee innovation, improve SDT by presenting the concept of paradoxical need fulfillment between competence and relatedness, and extends Paradox Theory conceptualize mindfulness as a dual-edged psychological state that concurrently empowers and limits innovation. This integrative framework reframes digital leadership as a paradoxical function of balancing cognitive emphasis and emotional association to sustain innovation in digitally dynamic service organizations.