Rafb hammerstedt

41nbc news at joining us for and thanks for good evening and thanks for joining us for 41nbc news at 5:30.

I'm shelby coates.

First -- it is a story only on 41 nbc.

All this week... we have highlighted women in leadership roles at robins air force base... for women's history month.

But how much does gender shape leadership?

Brigadier general jennifer hammerstedt commands the air logistics complex at robins, she says being a woman affects her personality and her leadership approach.

But so does her background, hometown, education.... and her experience serving with other women in powerful positions.

Nats - drilling brigadier general jennifer hammerstedt's focus is on plane parts.

(hammer stedt) but her heart is all about people.

"i didn't know much but i knew i wanted to lead people."

Hammerstedt is the commander of the warner robins air logistics complex .... at robins air force base.

Her workforce includes more than seven thousand personnel... that provide maintenance and repair to a number of aircraft.

"how are we meeting the war fighter requirements?

We have targets we meet every month.

The united states air force and the dod is counting on everyone that shows up at robins air force base to do what we are tasked to do."

Hammerstedt says in her small, new jersey hometown... most people simply grew up, got married and stayed nearby to work a family business.

"growing up in the military was not something that was a familiar option."

The youngest of five kids... hammerstedt says ... she had to figure out how to cover the cost of college.

She landed ... at the air force academy.

And everything fell into place.

"i fell in love with the military lifestyle.

It was really compatiable to who i was as a person.

I love the service and the part of being something bigger than yourself."

Eager to lead, hammerstedt says she followed the advice of a mentor who pushed her toward aircraft maintenance.

"early in my career, aircraft maintainance had a lot of female senior officers, general officers that i could say oh look at that.

Oh this is possible in our united states aire force."

One of those female leaders was general janet wolfenbarger-- the first female four star general in the u-s air force.

Hammerstedt says it was a privilge to work with her directly -- and learn from her -- as they both moved up the ranks.

"if i didn't say i learned a tremendous amount from her.

How she carried herself and how she stepped into that role and how she treated people."

That early encounter normalized the idea of women in leadership ... for hammerstedt.

"there is a lot of strong women leaders at different levels.

I think that's why sometimes those things don't catch me off guard because it's like - i look at it as part of our heritage."

In fact -- when it comes to getting the job done, gender is not on her radar.

"but i never felt or looked around and said 'i'm the only one.'

It really never was a factor for me."

Remember this commander isn't only honing in on the production process... her heart is on people.

And as a leader, hammerstedt says it's important that the people who are part of the mission... feel valued too.

"i hope that's the example that i am for people is that you can be kind, get the mission done c1 3 b13 and you can still do that in a way that people feel valued and people want to come to work."

Hammerstedt says... she is successful in leadership ...