This study investigates the impact of middle managers' digital leadership on employee work engagement, focusing on the mediating roles of employee empowerment and affective commitment, as well as the moderating effect of emotional intelligence. The research is based on Social Exchange Theory and involves survey data from 559 respondents across 11 listed companies in Southwest China. The findings reveal that middle managers' digital leadership significantly positively affects employee work engagement. Employee empowerment and affective commitment serve as mediating factors in this relationship. Emotional intelligence moderates the effect of middle managers' digital leadership on employee empowerment and further moderates the chain mediation of employee empowerment and affective commitment in the relationship between middle managers' digital leadership and employee work engagement. The study highlights the importance of emotional intelligence, empowerment, and affective commitment in the digital transformation process. The results provide practical implications for enhancing employee work engagement through strategic digital leadership, emphasizing the role of these factors in adapting to digital transformation. The study contributes to the understanding of leadership and engagement dynamics in the digital era, offering insights for both theory and practice.This study investigates the impact of middle managers' digital leadership on employee work engagement, focusing on the mediating roles of employee empowerment and affective commitment, as well as the moderating effect of emotional intelligence. The research is based on Social Exchange Theory and involves survey data from 559 respondents across 11 listed companies in Southwest China. The findings reveal that middle managers' digital leadership significantly positively affects employee work engagement. Employee empowerment and affective commitment serve as mediating factors in this relationship. Emotional intelligence moderates the effect of middle managers' digital leadership on employee empowerment and further moderates the chain mediation of employee empowerment and affective commitment in the relationship between middle managers' digital leadership and employee work engagement. The study highlights the importance of emotional intelligence, empowerment, and affective commitment in the digital transformation process. The results provide practical implications for enhancing employee work engagement through strategic digital leadership, emphasizing the role of these factors in adapting to digital transformation. The study contributes to the understanding of leadership and engagement dynamics in the digital era, offering insights for both theory and practice.