BACKGROUND:　Scholars　have　called　for　studies　to　adopt　a　more　holistic　perspective　to　conduct　multilevel　examinations　of　leadership　processes,　but　corresponding　empirical　studies　are　rare.　Besides,　researches　on　the　relationship　of　paradoxical　leadership　with　team　innovation　and　individual　innovation　are　still　in　the　exploratory　stage.　OBJECTIVE:　Integrating　paradoxical　leadership　theory,　role　system　theory　and　role　engagement　theory,　we　developed　a　multilevel,　dual　process　model　to　explore　the　mechanisms　through　which　paradoxical　leadership　simultaneously　affect　individual　innovation　and　team　innovation.　METHODS:　Based　on　the　multiphase,　multisource　data　collected　from　367　employees　of　80　teams　in　Fujian　and　Jiangsu　province　in　China,　Structural　equation　model　(SEM)　and　Hierarchical　Linear　Model　(HLM)　were　applied　to　analyze　the　survey　data.　RESULTS:　Our　empirical　results　revealed　that,　(1)　At　the　individual　level,　role　engagement　positively　contributes　to　individual　innovation.　(2)　At　the　team　level,　paradoxical　leadership　exerted　positive　influence　on　team　innovation,　and　team　coordination　mediates　the　relationship　between　paradoxical　leadership　and　team　innovation.　(3)　At　the　cross　level,　paradoxical　leadership　positively　contributed　to　individual　innovation,　and　the　variables　role　engagement　and　team　coordination　play　a　cross-level　mediation　role　in　the　relationship　of　paradoxical　leadership　and　individual　innovation.　Furthermore,　team　coordination　moderates　the　relationship　between　role　engagement　and　individual　innovation.　CONCLUSIONS:　By　combining　paradoxical　leadership　theory,　role　system　theory　and　role　engagement　theory,　we　proposed　a　multilevel　theoretical　framework,　taking　a　meaningful　step　for　explaining　the　relationship　and　the　influence　mechanism　between　paradoxical　leadership　and　team　innovation　and　individual　innovation.　Our　finding　inspires　leaders　at　all　levels　of　the　organization　to　leverage　paradoxical　leadership　to　engage　the　contradictions　and　competing　demands　pervade　in　the　workplace　and　organizations　effectively,　and　gain　comfort　from　discomfort,　and　further　achieve　good　innovation　performance.　We　hope　our　research　can　offer　a　basis　for　management　research　and　practice　in　this　complex　set.　©　2020-IOS　Press　and　the　authors.　All　rights　reserved.