Five growth levers, renamed so their initials spell F.O.C.U.S.™ — Fuel, Orientation, Culture, Urgency, Sensing. Traditionally known elsewhere as Cash, Strategy, People and Execution, with a fifth lever, Sensing, that most growth frameworks leave out entirely.
Every engagement starts by plotting real scores from the 40-Point Growth Diagnostic™ onto this same five-axis pentagon — the shape stays constant, only the score changes. The snapshot below is illustrative, for format reference only; run the real diagnostic to see your own.
Run the Diagnostic™ →Illustrative maturity snapshot — for format reference only
Several acronyms were on the table before this one — the deciding factor was fit, not novelty. Culture is the word the leadership-and-team lever's own assessment focus already used. Sensing names exactly what a structured scan of leading growth frameworks (Balanced Scorecard, McKinsey's Organisational Health Index, EOS, Bain's NPS, WIPO's Global Innovation Index) kept surfacing as the gap most four-lever models leave open. Orientation carries the same market-facing meaning. And F.O.C.U.S. leaves Fuel untouched while reading as an instruction in its own right — a scaling business has to stay focused.
The cash and financial strength that sustains the climb — profitability, working capital, financial controls, growth funding.
Strategic clarity, market positioning, differentiation, competitive advantage, customer understanding.
Leadership capability, bench strength, accountability, culture, communication.
Execution discipline — priorities, KPIs, meeting rhythm, process discipline, accountability.
Innovation pipeline discipline, digital & AI adoption, market & customer sensing, learning velocity, business-model renewal.
The 40-Point Growth Diagnostic™ turns this framework from a description into a number — eight statements per lever, an overall maturity score, and a clear read on which lever is the biggest constraint on growth right now.
Run the 40-Point Diagnostic™