How to Make a Leader How to build a manager development program from scratch
Building a manager development program from scratch is hard. But scaling it is harder.
Sarah Bright leads Learning & Development at Darktrace. She built a tiered manager development program from scratch, training 75% of all managers across 20 learning cohorts in two years.
She shares how her team designed a program that adapts to a fast-moving business, the core competencies that define great managers, and how to measure the real impact of leadership development.
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to How to Make A Leader
(01:13) Building the L&D function from scratch
(02:33) Getting buy-in for manager development
(03:49) The first version of Darktrace’s manager program
(05:10) Tiered manager development curriculum
(06:39) Core competencies for developing leaders
(08:31) Measuring the success of L&D initiatives
(12:20) Creating a thriving manager community
(15:26) What's next for L&D at Darktrace
(19:19) One piece of leadership advice
About Sarah Bright:
Sarah Bright is the Head of Learning and Development at Darktrace, where she leads global initiatives that support more than 2,500 employees, including scalable learning pathways, clear career progression frameworks and manager development programmes. She started at Darktrace as a Sales Operations Analyst, where identifying trends and patterns contributed to her evidence-based approach to people development.
This analytical mindset influences how she creates systems that help people feel clearer, more engaged, and able to progress in their careers. Sarah is passionate about combining data, storytelling, and emerging learning technologies to create development experiences that empower employees to grow with confidence and purpose.