This study aimed to examine the role of organizational virtuousness and knowledge-oriented leadership in predicting the innovative behavior of elementary school teachers in Kurdistan Province, Iran. The research was applied in purpose and employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population comprised all elementary school teachers across the sixteen educational districts of Kurdistan Province during the 2024–2025 academic year (N = 10,469). A sample of 363 teachers was selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Knowledge Leadership Questionnaire developed by Viitala (2004), the Organizational Virtuousness Scale developed by Cameron et al. (2004), and the Innovative Work Behavior Scale developed by Janssen (2000). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26, applying Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicated that knowledge-oriented leadership (β = .422) and organizational virtuousness (β = .380) had significant positive effects on teachers’ innovative behavior (p < .05). The regression model explained 19.7% of the variance in innovative behavior. Furthermore, knowledge-oriented leadership (β = .303) demonstrated greater predictive power than organizational virtuousness (β = .183). Both variables remained significant predictors in the regression model, confirming their substantial contributions to fostering innovative behavior among teachers. Overall, the findings suggest that strengthening organizational virtuousness and promoting knowledge-oriented leadership can effectively enhance innovative behavior among elementary school teachers. Accordingly, educational policymakers and school administrators should cultivate organizational environments that encourage ethical values, knowledge sharing, and leadership practices to improve teacher innovation and educational quality.