Abstract
Paradox management is mostly attributed to individual abilities, such as cognitive or emotional abilities. This individual focus draws attention away from the role of context, overlooking how individuals think in relation with others and their environment. In particular, the political context of paradox management deserves more attention. Our research engages with this void by exploring how the political context of paradox management is shaped by coaching, a holding environment that potentially soothes tensions and facilitates paradox management. We conducted an inductive study of 57 semi-structured interviews with executive coaches using the critical incident technique. Our study shows that coaching shapes three different political contexts for paradox management, with distinctive holding units and holding functions. In doing so, it provides a dynamic approach to paradox management.