This episode is a reality check for high-performing leaders who believe burnout is just part of success.

Burnout isn’t the real problem.

Chasing work-life balance is. For engineers, project leaders, and ambitious professionals, overwhelm often isn’t about workload — it’s about identity, boundaries, and chasing a myth that was never built for modern leadership.

In this episode, executive coach and author Laura Crestan breaks down why work-life balance doesn’t work — and what leaders should focus on instead. Laura Crestan is an executive coach and author of Work Is Not Your Life. She works with senior leaders to build emotional fitness, resilience, and clarity — especially in high-pressure environments where expectations are high and time is finite.

In this conversation, we discuss:

1. 00:00 Intro — Work-Life Balance Is a Myth
2. 01:43 The 5 Integration Frameworks
3. 05:28 Emotional Fitness & Perfectionism
4. 07:35 “Should” Language & Self-Judgment
5. 09:23 “Try” vs “Do” — The Language of Avoidance
6. 11:39 Calendar Boundaries & Burnout Signals
7. 14:42 Burnout vs. Boredom
8. 16:52 High Performers & Overworking
9. 18:39 Why Leaders Need a Thinking Partner
10. 20:00 Health, Sleep & Movement
11. 23:25 Shutting Down Work at Home
12. 24:17 Relationships & Workplace Culture Fit
13. 29:00 Family Boundaries & Communication Expectations
14. 32:00 Boundaries Define Where You End
15. 34:35 Slack Systems & Communication Clarity
16. 38:00 Meeting Audits & Ineffective Meetings
17. 40:00 Work Is Not Your Life
18. 44:00 Letting Go to Move Up
19. 46:00 Learning → Doing → Being as a Leader
20. 47:38 Growth & the 3-Year Vision
21. 50:00 Experimentation vs. Perfection
22. 52:00 Life Is Messy — Trust the Process
23. 56:00 Final Takeaway: Integration Over Balance

About the Guest Laura Crestan is an executive coach and author focused on helping leaders build resilience and emotional fitness. With over 25 years of leadership experience, she challenges overwork culture and teaches professionals how to lead with clarity, strength, and purpose.

🔗 Connect with Laura:

1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loracrestan/
2. Website: https://www.loracrestan.com/
3. Book: Work Is Not Your Life https://www.amazon.ca/Work-Not-Your-Life-Balancing/dp/1069492302/

About the Show Engineering Better Conversations is where technical and project leaders learn to speak so people listen. Hosted by Nancy Michieli, engineer turned executive communication coach, the show explores how clarity, influence, and human communication drive real leadership results — in projects, teams, and careers.

Connect with Nancy:

1. LinkedIn: / nancymichieli
2. Website: https://www.nancymichielicoaching.com/
3. Newsletter: https://www.engineeringbetterconversations.com