Chicken: How to prevent spices/seasoning from burning on Pan?
Stoves vary greatly in their heat output.  Cooks need to learn how their stove and pans respond together, and learn how to control the heat supplied to the ingredients you are cooking.  If your ingredients are burning, the heat is too high.  You can achieve a good crust without burning and by using lower heat, it may just take longer.  You are correct in that this is a balancing act.  It's not necessarily the high heat that keeps your food from sticking.  Use lower heat, and enough oil to coat the pan.  Don't move your chicken until a crust forms. It it is smoking or browning too quickly, turn the heat down, and/or remove the pan from the burner.