Growing to Lead

Article by Aspen Wooley | Photo by Grace Heaton

When Jocelyn Millington walks into work at the Cannon Commons for the first time, she isn’t sure what to do. There are employees bustling around cooking, and with so many people, it is a little overwhelming. A student manager comes over to her, a big smile on his face, instantly putting her at ease. It is a busy day, and Jocelyn isn’t sure how she will ever keep track of everything!

A few months into the new job, Jocelyn starts getting the hang of everything. Things are going smoothly on this particular workday, and Jocelyn is excited to see her favorite coworker come in. They exchange jokes and try to remember all the policies they are supposed to follow. When Jocelyn’s manager asks her to make a solution to clean the floors, she can’t remember what to add in. She decides to come up with her own mixture and begins to clean the floors. She added way too much soap though, and the floors are so slippery that three people slip and fall! Jocelyn knows it’s her fault and isn’t sure how she will recover from this mistake.

Three years later, Jocelyn is a key member of the leadership team at the Cannon Commons. This job has become part of her life at BYU and she can’t imagine leaving. Jocelyn is a junior Honors student at BYU, studying Bioinformatics. She works as a student leader and Supervisor at the Cannon Commons, incorporating this into her Honors Leadership Development Experience. She is learning how to lead others with empathy and determination. As part of the Student Policy Leadership Committee for the Cannon Center, Jocelyn collaborates with other student leaders to figure out what can be improved and how to support employees.

As she reflects on the things that she has learned over the years, she hears a loud crash. Someone dropped a glass plate in the kitchen! The employee responsible just started working here and looks like he is about to lose it. Jocelyn rushes over, all too familiar with a moment like this. She recounts the slipping fiasco, and her fellow employee can’t help but laugh out loud. He feels better knowing someone relates and that he is not alone at work. Jocelyn feels proud of all she has done to make this workplace a positive and welcoming environment.

When Jocelyn puts her mind to something, she won’t stop until she succeeds. “I always want to be good at what I do, whatever it is. So even when something is frustrating, I know I want to be better at it because it will help me in the future.” Whether in a work or school setting, or otherwise, this motivates her to continue forward. In addition to being a student she is currently training for a marathon, demonstrating her persistence.

Jocelyn notes that since she was a young girl, her mother inspired her to work hard and accomplish great things. “My mom is so smart. She has a lot of grit, and I really admire her tenacity,” she shares. As a first-generation student, Jocelyn is inspired by her parents’ strength and example. Her mother has recently decided to go back to school and get her degree, while also parenting her younger brother. This encourages Jocelyn to continue to succeed and grow, especially as a leader. She has taken those lessons to heart as she has served in diverse leadership roles. She has worked with thousands of students navigating National History Day in Washington D.C., helping to run the national competition. She has also served as a member of the Youth Advisory Committee for the Utah Historical Society.

Whether she is solving problems, delegating shifts, or training new employees, she keeps a calm demeanor. In a hectic workplace, “the main thing is trying to present some sort of calm control. It’s always good to have someone above you telling you ‘We’re good. Everything is fine.’” Jocelyn continues to improve the experience of everyone involved in her work, carrying on the approach of the manager who welcomed her when she was new. This helps others feel comfortable, and “once people are comfortable, they’ll ask questions. They will make mistakes, but then they’re teachable and won’t step back. I want people to feel like they belong.”

The role of an effective leader presents some challenges. In her own words, she is “stubborn and audacious,” and communication hasn’t always been a strength of hers. There are times when Jocelyn admits being drained by the immense social aspect of her job. Through her persistence, “the more optimistic version of stubbornness,” she laughs, she has discovered new strengths. Some of these strengths are connecting with others and being able to ask and answer questions effectively. “This has made me braver. I’m feeling more in control of myself and the situation, whatever problems arise.” Another strength that fuels her as a leader is passion, which allows her to find greater motivation as she seeks success. A major takeaway for her has been “acknowledging that frustration doesn’t mean failure.”

Jocelyn is learning what it takes to be a leader, crediting the motivation she finds to having others’ support, Honors leadership classes, and her own desire to succeed -- not just as a leader, but in her life overall. Jocelyn says she has grown as she’s looked outward to others. Jocelyn has been successful at creating a better work environment, but positive changes haven’t stopped there. Her mantra is that “in every aspect of your life, you can better yourself.” Growth is always possible, even in areas that haven’t ever come naturally.