This study examines the relationship between Paternalistic Leadership and Job Satisfaction, and the mediating roles of Psychological Empowerment and Fairness in India. In the West, it is widely believed that Paternalistic Leadership does not support empowerment and is therefore not perceived as fair by employees. The study employs a sequential mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative studies. The first study was quantitative and used a process macro that showed that Psychological Empowerment and Fairness sequentially mediated the relationship between Paternalistic Leadership and Job Satisfaction. The second study, based on thematic analysis, explored employees’ experiences, revealing that Indian employees perceive it as authoritative (not authoritarian) and nurturing. This fosters psychological empowerment and fairness at work.