We theorize about the separate and interactive effects of the two primary elements of paternalistic leadership: authoritarianism and benevolence. Accordingly, we test a mediating mechanism through which these components of paternalistic leadership stimulate employee innovative and knowledge‐sharing behaviors. A multi‐source and multi‐level study involving 302 employee‐supervisor‐peer triads in 60 Chinese technology‐based organizations supported the association between the interaction of benevolent and authoritarian leadership and employee affective trust, innovative behavior, and knowledge sharing. Moreover, affective trust mediated the interaction of benevolence and authoritarianism on employee innovative behavior and knowledge sharing. We suggest that, the two constructs underlying paternalistic leadership might promote employee breakthrough behaviors across cultures. That is, their demanding and yet selfless stance turns authoritarian‐benevolent leaders into prototypes of the followers' aspirational social identity.