From Cart Attendant to SVP: Samir Shah on the Power of Curiosity

Shah’s path began at a Target in Fremont, California, where he took a five-dollar-an-hour position as a cart attendant specifically to immerse himself in American culture. He maintains that his success stems from a relentless habit of asking questions, a trait he still prioritizes when mentoring his team of seven vice presidents and 42 senior directors. For Shah, the most valuable employees are those who possess the humility to admit when they lack answers and the curiosity to seek them out.

This approach proved critical during a recent turnaround effort at the Atlantic Terminal store in Brooklyn. Faced with underperformance, Shah bypassed top-down mandates in favor of analyzing specific growth trends within the store’s merchandise categories. By engaging directly with staff to understand their operational challenges—such as the friction between standard suburban checkout flows and the needs of busy Manhattan shoppers—he helped the team identify tactical improvements. Within six months, the store was on track to hit record-breaking sales. Shah insists that leadership stagnation is a liability; he frequently consults everyone from corporate directors in Minneapolis to front-line staff in Buffalo, proving that the most effective insights often come from those closest to the customer.