Purpose: While abusive supervision has gained much traction in the extant literature, its impact on innovation in public sector organizations remains underexplored. Therefore, the current study aims to expand the debate on an important but under-researched area of Operational Excellence literature by exploring whether and when this dysfunctional leadership behavior influences innovation in lean teams. Design/methodology/approach – In this preliminary conceptual research, our theoretical model was designed based on literature insights, which were analyzed from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Finding – Our research theoretically proposes a negative relationship between abusive supervision and lean team innovation. Furthermore, we hypothesize that cognitive reappraisal mitigates the negative impact of abusive supervision on team innovation. Practical implications – This study provides valuable recommendations for lean managers and professionals on how to eliminate the toxicity of abusive and consequently improve innovation capabilities for their teams. Originality/value – Our research provides novel insights into the abusive supervision theory in the context of lean teams in public sector organizations. To the best of our knowledge, we are among the first to theoretically propose whether and when abusive supervision influences lean team innovation by introducing a novel moderator, cognitive reappraisal to inhibit the negative influence of abusive supervision.