The aim of this study is to identify the variables that influence leaders’ innovative behavior and comprehensively explore their interrelationships. To this end, a moderated mediation model was used to examine the mediating role of adaptive cognitive-emotional regulation and the moderating influence of psychological resilience on the relationship between job burnout and innovative behavior. A web-based survey was conducted among 446 leaders occupying positions at or above the team leader level, which measured job burnout, innovative behavior, adaptive cognitive-emotional regulation, and psychological resilience. The study sample comprised 413 participants, consisting of 61 males and 349 females, and were analyzed using SPSS 28.0 and SPSS Macro PROCESS. As a result of the study, the effect of job burnout on innovation behavior is partially mediated by adaptive cognitive emotional regulation, and the effect of job burnout on adaptive cognitive emotional regulation is moderated by resilience. In other words, the effect of job burnout on innovation behavior is mediated by the effect of adaptive cognitive emotional regulation moderated by resilience. Finally, we discussed implications, limitations, and future research.