Alana McNary
Chief People Officer
Professional Engineering Consultants
Episode 110
Introvert's Playbook: How Stepping Up & Speaking Out Drives Unseen Career Growth
Current chapter: This podcast is presented by Previ. Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern among employees
Built By PeopleJuly 11, 2025 · 9:30
Thesis
“Personal and professional growth, especially for introverts, is catalyzed by deliberately stepping out of comfort zones, engaging in community, and actively speaking up, creating synergistic benefits for both the individual and their organization.”
Show notes
Alana McNary will tell you plainly: she was an introvert through high school and college, and fear held her back consistently. She didn't say yes. She didn't speak up. She experienced what she describes as social exhaustion and felt like she couldn't be her true self in new situations. Then she became the Chief People Officer of a professional engineering firm, the president of multiple community boards, and a fairly good illustration of what "one step outside your comfort zone" actually compounds into over time.
Her turning point wasn't a dramatic one. Her company president asked her to join a community board. She said yes out of obligation and expectation, half-waiting to feel unqualified. What actually happened: doors opened. Other boards. New professional relationships. Her company became the face of the city's annual Christmas program — which put her face out there too. One involvement led to another, which led to another, which now includes taking her therapy dog into forensic interview settings with children. None of it was planned. All of it followed from a single yes.
Her advice for other introverted HR leaders — which is, by her count, most of them — is simple: you don't need to transform your personality. You need to speak up once, take one connection seriously, and let the ripple effect do the rest. Growth, she says, is always one step outside your comfort zone. The step is the thing.
- What held Alana back as a self-described introvert — and what finally changed
- How saying yes to one community board led to multiple board presidencies and unexpected career momentum
- How her community involvement turned into a tangible employer brand asset for the companies she worked with
- Why HR leaders specifically benefit from external community engagement as a leadership development tool
- The energy management challenge of continuous community involvement — and how she sustains it
This episode is brought to you by Previ — an employer network that saves employees thousands on the necessities they already pay for, at no cost to the company.
What you'll take away
- 1Deliberately 'saying yes' to opportunities and 'speaking up' is crucial for introverts to overcome fear and drive professional growth in leadership roles.
- 2Strategic community involvement and board participation can significantly expand an HR leader's network, enhance their leadership skills, and open unexpected new avenues for impact.
- 3Aligning personal passions for community service with company initiatives can elevate employer brand, foster corporate social responsibility, and create valuable employee volunteer opportunities.
- 4The commitment to external roles generates a ripple effect, leading to more opportunities and deeper, more meaningful connections that multiply over time.
- 5Recognize the energy required to step out of your comfort zone and build in time for decompression to sustain long-term engagement and personal well-being.
What most organizations get wrong
In Alana's words
“Going through high school and college, I was definitely an introvert. I didn't say yes to opportunities. I held myself back and I would experience fear and intimidation when it came to saying yes to things, even joining clubs, some sports activities. I would experience that social exhaustion and just— I don't even know how to describe it in some cases, you just felt like closed off and you didn't feel like you could be your true self in those aspects.”
This quote highlights Alana's initial struggle with introversion and the internal barriers she faced in her early career.
“I think my biggest thing that I had to teach myself was to speak up. I had to put my foot out there and just take the opportunity to say something, do something.”
This emphasizes the deliberate and challenging step Alana took to overcome her introverted tendencies and embrace new opportunities.
“The company I worked for at the time became the sponsor of the Christmas parade each year, the whole Christmas program that the community put on every year. We became the face and the name of that event every year, which in turn had my face and name out there as well, which led to additional opportunities for not only me to get involved in the community, but also the company to get involved in other ways, putting our name out there, providing opportunities to get involved as a company.”
This provides a concrete example of how community involvement tangibly benefited both her personal visibility and the company's employer brand.
“And so, seeing how my connection to the community, my one role in this organization, is making a significant impact and how I can bring alongside others, i.e., my therapy dog or any other individuals within the organization, to grow that passion and share it with others, having them join the boards alongside me has been a wonderful opportunity.”
This illustrates the powerful, unexpected, and personal impact that community connections can have, even extending to unique contributions like therapy animal work.
“Growth is always one step outside of our comfort zone. And like I said, it's making that one step, that one connection in order to say, I'm going to step out of this comfort zone and I'm going to reach out and speak up or say something or do this one activity that's going to get me involved.”
This is Alana's concluding advice, succinctly summarizing her core message about the continuous nature of growth through deliberate action outside of one's comfort zone.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Many aspiring HR leaders, particularly introverts, struggle with fear, intimidation, and social exhaustion, preventing them from seizing professional development opportunities and advancing their careers.
- •HR professionals often lack effective strategies to build meaningful connections outside their immediate HR sphere, limiting their broader business influence and network.
- •Leaders may find it challenging to speak up and assert themselves, even in internal managerial roles, hindering their ability to make an impact and drive change.
- •Maintaining personal energy and preventing burnout is a significant challenge for highly engaged leaders who consistently step out of their comfort zones for extensive external commitments.
In this episode
This podcast is presented by Previ. Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern among employees
Build by People
You've been in HR for a little over 16 years
What's Your Career Journey?
You mentioned being an extreme introvert early in your HR career
Being an Extra-Introvert in HR
When president of your company first asked you to join a board, what was going through your mind
Local Board Members on Impact
As you transition from joining your first board to eventually becoming president of multiple boards
President of Multiple Boards
How have external connections and community involvement tangibly benefited your personal development
Built by People: Community Involvement
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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