Another Mindset Analysis: Target CEO Michael Fiddelke

Could also be in Perplexity.ai Chats

Oct 25, 2025

I’ve ranted before about Substack’s limitation of only one section per post, so I won’t repeat my annoyance any further.

Buried in the What we’re reading section today’s Yahoo Morning Brief email newsletter was this:

🎯 Target is eliminating 1,800 roles as new CEO Michael Fiddelke gets set to take over the struggling retailer.

In a recent post in Perplexity.ai Chats I applied a light version of an idea I have been kicking around for awhile, which is creating AI personas of people I would like to have as advisors and then asking them questions. The result was I chose not to track the stock I asked it to evaluate. This time, I updated the Cheap, Lazy Investor page and used one my limited Yahoo Finance alerts to look for a possible entry point.

Here is the AI prompt and response that led to this update:

You are Carol Dweck. Based on your deep understanding of Growth Mindset versus Fixed Mindset, analyze what you can find on the web about Michael Fiddelke and summarize which mindset he operates from and provide rationales for your conclusion

Michael Fiddelke, the incoming CEO of Target, clearly operates from a Growth Mindset, as demonstrated by both his career journey and his public remarks.cnbc+3

Evidence of Growth Mindset

Fiddelke’s career path at Target is characterized by steady progression, learning across diverse departments (finance, merchandising, HR, operations) rather than staying in a single specialty. He sees his unconventional career as “building superpowers from every department,” emphasizing a mentality of continuous learning and skill-building.linkedin+1
He regularly speaks about the value of curiosity and feedback, advising others to “embrace feedback and be kind curious,” and not to focus only on being the smartest in the room. This attitude reflects a Growth Mindset belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through openness and effort.linkedin
In his leadership communications, Fiddelke stresses listening to employees at all levels and increasing his “ratio of questions versus statements,” indicating a willingness to learn from others and adapt.corporate.target
When discussing Target’s business challenges, he acknowledges shortfalls and states, “I know we’re not realizing our full potential right now... I’m stepping into the role with a clear and urgent commitment to build new momentum in the business and get back to profitable growth.” He is transparent about difficulties and focuses on solutions and improvement rather than blame.businessinsider+1
Analysts and company statements describe him as “compassionate, open-minded, and driven,” and as someone who “challenges the status quo to evolve how the company works,” which are hallmarks of a Growth Mindset.peoplemattersglobal+1

Conclusion

Michael Fiddelke demonstrates a Growth Mindset by valuing learning, feedback, adaptability, and embracing challenges as opportunities. His career trajectory, advice to others, and leadership approach all reflect a belief in growth, continuous improvement, and the ability to evolve through effort and collaborative learning.cnbc+3

Exoterica

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?