Michael Fiddelke’s path from Target intern to CEO is unusual today. Instead of jumping between companies, he spent 22 years steadily building experience and relationships within the same organization. His appointment as Target's next CEO is a masterclass in a forgotten work ethic that might be exactly what modern careers need.
The Deep Dive Philosophy
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Mike Mozart
Since joining Target in 2003, Fiddelke has taken on roles across finance, merchandising, human resources, and operations. Instead of moving between companies or focusing on one narrow specialty, he built a broad base of experience within the same organization.
Most executives today know one function exceptionally well and others superficially. Fiddelke knows how Target's merchandising decisions impact financial performance, how HR policies affect operational efficiency, and how supply chain investments drive digital capabilities.
His roles as CFO and COO involved leading investments that expanded Target's stores, supply chain, workforce, and digital capabilities that drove significant growth. That knowledge came from years of hands-on experience watching decisions ripple through every corner of a massive organization.
The Steady Ascent Strategy
By getting promoted roughly every two years, Fiddelke reveals a work ethic of patience paired with performance. His progression from senior vice president of operations to CFO in 2019, then COO in 2024, represents calculated career building rather than opportunistic job-hopping. Each role built upon the previous one.
This approach allowed him to build invaluable institutional memory. He understands not just how Target operates today, but why it operates that way, what changes worked, what failed, and which initiatives are still ripening. His board position on Target subsidiary Shipt, the same-day delivery service acquired in 2017, demonstrates how his deep company knowledge extends into strategic initiatives and subsidiary management.
The Feedback-Driven Mindset
Image via Canva/katso
Fiddelke's advice to Gen Z is to "embrace feedback" and be "kind and curious." It's advice that reveals a fundamental aspect of his work ethic. Instead of viewing feedback as criticism or obstacles as unfair barriers, he approached his career with what psychologists call a growth mindset.
This mindset explains how someone can stay at one company for 22 years without stagnating. Every role became a learning opportunity, and every challenge an opportunity to expand capability. He remained genuinely curious about different aspects of the business.
The "kind and curious" approach also suggests emotional intelligence developed through years of working with diverse teams and stakeholders. Leading change within an established organization requires different skills than leading as an external change agent. It requires influence without authority, coalition-building, and the ability to respect existing culture while driving improvement.
The Modern Career Lesson
Fiddelke's journey doesn't suggest that everyone should spend 22 years at one company. Many organizations lack Target's scale and capacity to support such development. However, it does suggest that the modern obsession with external career moves may be leaving value on the table.
As Gen Zers grapple with a bleak entry-level job market and Target prepares to hand the keys to someone who knows every corner of the business, perhaps it's time to reconsider whether the old formula for career building might be the most innovative approach of all.