Burnout, Boundaries, and the Balance Beam: Lessons from Diana Charbonneau
What does it take to lead, love, and last in 2025? In our latest Leaders Who Last episode, we sat down with Diana Charbonneau, Corporate Learning Facilitator at Tucson Electric Power, devoted mom, and nonprofit changemaker. Diana, and Latitude CEO Elena Joy, explored the evolving reality of burnout and sustainable leadership.
Diana didn’t just bring insights. She brought receipts.
High Capacity ≠ Unlimited Capacity
As a high-capacity leader, Diana is no stranger to juggling: parenting, corporate responsibilities, and community leadership. But that capacity comes with a cost. “When you operate at that high level,” she shared, “people expect it; without delay, without emotion, and with a smile.” This unspoken expectation, especially placed on working moms, can make burnout feel inevitable. The more you can handle, the more you’re handed.
But as Diana vulnerably shared, even she hit a wall. A post-surgery recovery she assumed she’d breeze through turned into a hard lesson in pacing and listening to her body’s limits.
Boundaries as Burnout Prevention
Diana’s burnout prevention playbook is refreshingly tactical:
Two Late Nights Max: One for community, one for family. No exceptions.
The “Yes” Checklist: For every new ask, ask yourself: Does it fit your bandwidth or health? Will it make an impact? Does it bring you joy?
That final question, "Does it bring you joy?", was a key theme throughout their conversation. Diana’s wisdom? “Joy isn't just a bonus. It’s your early warning system. If joy’s missing, burnout isn’t far behind.”
Performing vs. Aligning
Both Diana and our host, Elena Joy, highlighted the unsustainable pressure to perform leadership, especially as women. Whether it’s hiding gray hair, saying yes to every nonprofit, or masking real emotions with a smile, performance has a price. At Latitude, we call this the cost of capacity depletion. When you're pretending to be someone you're not, you’re spending energy you don’t have. Burning out becomes a matter of when, not if.
Said best by Diana: “You only get 18 summers with your kid. I’ve got 12 left. That keeps me centered.”
Workplace Support That Changes Everything
The conversation closed with a powerful reminder: we can do our best to prevent burnout individually, but nothing compares to having a workplace that has your back. Diana described a moment when a corporate health coach gently encouraged her to slow down—validating her need for recovery and reflection. That small moment of support solidified her connection to her employer far more than any policy ever could.
Celebrate. Align. Sustain.
Diana reminded us all that burnout prevention is a journey, not a checklist. It’s about:
Radically acknowledging our reality
Creating non-negotiable boundaries
Refusing to perform at the cost of our health
Reclaiming joy—moment by moment
And maybe most of all? Celebrating ourselves along the way.
“We forget to just be. That’s what I’ve been working on this past year—and it’s elevated my life in ways I couldn’t describe.”
Watch the full episode here and stay tuned for our next guest on Leaders Who Last—where we keep it real, raw, and restorative.
If you’re ready to start your own roadmap to burnout prevention, check out our Burnout Prevention Starter Kit.