Is the SDR Leader role as strong as ever?

THESIS

The past ten months have been nothing short of incredible. Our communities in EMEA, the USA, and APAC continue to grow. Engagement has been beyond anything I could have imagined, and meeting thousands of you in person across the world has been truly inspiring.

As I finish another tour across three countries and five events, one thing feels very clear to me: the SDR Leader role is stronger than ever.

I can already hear the voices at the back saying, “Of course you’d say that, Dave. This is your world.”

Fair enough. But stay with me for a moment.

When we set out to build our SDR Leadership community, the vision was to Dictate what sales development will look like by 2030. That vision only works if operators worldwide are deeply committed to this craft. It only works if SDR leaders see their role not just as a job, but as a vocation.

And I believe we have that level of talent in place.

During the COVID era, when money was cheap and companies were hiring at record speed (remember the Zoom boom?), we needed SDR leaders to manage those teams. Many of those leaders were strong performers but operated more like individual contributors. Their focus was on meeting team targets, rather than considering the broader business impact of their work.

The result was frustration across organisations. SDR teams were booking meetings that didn’t convert to real pipeline, and some SDR leaders were satisfied with simply hitting quota.

What has happened since is a quiet but powerful shift. Many of those short-term leaders have transitioned into roles that better align with their strengths. What has emerged instead is a new generation of SDR leaders who care deeply not only about their teams but also about the broader contribution they make to the business.

These leaders are not just managing activity. They are shaping strategy. They are creating what is called Revenue and Talent Generation Engines.

This shift means leaders are thinking more about profit and loss than ever before. They understand the business economics of their function. They can articulate what happens when the company invests one dollar into their team and the return it creates. That clarity allows them to drive more innovation, secure more investment, and develop talent across the organisation.

It also means the SDR function is returning to its original purpose as a launchpad for the next generation of company talent. Today’s best SDR programs don’t just prepare people for sales roles, they develop professionals who move into customer success, marketing, and even technical paths.

That is what I’ve seen, firsthand, in city after city.

The future for SDR leadership is incredibly bright. The people I meet in this community are not just building teams; they are building the future of go-to-market.

Always remember that.

SURVEY
We need your submissions for our State of EMEA Sales Development Survey 2025!

EMEA SDR Leaders, do not have any EMEA specific information on salaries, tech stack, quota, coaching etc

​Lets change this.

​We need to hear your voice to create the latest State of EMEA Sales Development Survey.

​Please fill in the survey at the link below and lets create the firepower you need to make an impact in 2026.

​A big thank you to Commsor for supporting the community in our survey.

Submit your answers here

LASTLY
Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I could help you

Our Community for European-based SDR leaders: SDR leaders of EMEA

Our Community for North American-based SDR leaders: SDR Leaders of USA