Leveraging resources to exploit opportunities in external markets is at the heart of innovation. However, research suggests that leveraging resources is complicated and fraught with challenges. Building on work in resource orchestration by integrating behavioral logic relating to search behaviors and use of slack resources, we argue synchronization of internal activities enhances the innovation gains of a firm’s leveraging strategy (resource advantage, market opportunity, and entrepreneurial). We further suggest that this impact of synchronization on leveraging strategy and innovation is dependent on firms’ performance relative to social aspirations, elucidating boundary conditions of resource orchestration. Our findings offer theoretical and practical implications for understanding the influence of synchronization, leveraging strategies, and firm performance on innovation.