Purpose Previous work on paradox and contradiction has argued for management approaches that transcend dilemmas through a kind of creative synthesis. The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically how change leaders' efforts to transcend contradictions emerge, evolve and contribute to organizational change. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses three case studies in different sectors drawing on interviews, documents and observations. Findings It is found that discourses of transcendence emerge as leaders bring new elements to the debate and supply a rationale that creatively bridges opposite poles of a dilemma. The credibility of the discourse is enhanced when it is embedded in extant institutional ideas, when stakeholders' interests and values appear to be accommodated and when leaders are viewed as legitimate. However, inherent contradictions tend to resurface over time, suggesting that while transcendence offers a powerful stimulus for change, its range and lifetime may be transitory. Three mechanisms associated with the acceptance of transcendent ideas (quasi‐resolution of conflict, strategic ambiguity and groupthink) may sow the seeds of their eventual re‐evaluation and dissolution. Originality/value By examining the antecedents and consequences of transcendent discourses over time, the paper provides a nuanced view of their potential and limitations.
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