Free Growth Levers PowerPoint Template

Strategic Growth with the Seven Degrees of Freedom

Growth doesn't happen by accident. Companies that consistently grow do so by systematically identifying and pursuing the pathways available to them. McKinsey's Seven Degrees of Freedom framework provides a comprehensive map of growth options, helping strategists ensure they've considered all possibilities before committing resources.

The framework organizes growth opportunities into seven distinct levers, each with different risk profiles, capability requirements, and time horizons. By mapping current activities and future opportunities across all seven, leadership teams can make informed choices about where to focus.

The Seven Growth Levers

Lever 1: Sell More to Existing Customers

The lowest-risk growth path. You already have the relationship, understand their needs, and have proven your value. Growth comes from:

• Increasing purchase frequency
• Expanding share of wallet
• Cross-selling additional products
• Upselling premium offerings
• Reducing churn

This lever requires strong customer success, account management, and product expansion capabilities.

Lever 2: Acquire New Customers

Same products, new buyers. Growth comes from:

• Expanding sales coverage
• Entering new customer segments
• Improving marketing effectiveness
• Competitive displacement
• Market development

This lever requires strong marketing, sales, and competitive capabilities.

Lever 3: New Products for Existing Customers

Leverage customer relationships to introduce new offerings. Growth comes from:

• Product line extensions
• Adjacent product categories
• Service additions to product businesses
• Product additions to service businesses

This lever requires product development capabilities and deep customer insight.

Lever 4: New Products for New Customers

The classic diversification play. Highest risk but potentially highest reward. Growth comes from:

• Entering entirely new businesses
• Platform extensions into new markets
• Capability-based diversification

This lever requires entrepreneurial capabilities and significant investment.

Lever 5: New Geographies

Take existing business model to new markets. Growth comes from:

• Domestic expansion (new regions)
• International expansion
• Localization for new markets

This lever requires market entry capabilities, local knowledge, and operational flexibility.

Lever 6: New Delivery Channels

Reach customers through new routes to market. Growth comes from:

• Digital channel development
• Partner and distributor networks
• Direct-to-consumer from B2B
• Retail expansion from online
• Platform and marketplace presence

This lever requires channel management capabilities and often technology investment.

Lever 7: M&A and Partnerships

Acquire growth rather than build it. Options include:

• Horizontal acquisitions (competitors)
• Vertical integration (suppliers, distributors)
• Capability acquisitions (talent, technology)
• Market access acquisitions (geography, customer base)
• Strategic partnerships and joint ventures

This lever requires M&A capabilities, integration skills, and capital access.

Assessing Growth Potential by Lever

For each lever, evaluate:

Opportunity Size: What's the addressable market? How much growth is available if executed well?

Competitive Position: Who else is pursuing this lever? What's your right to win?

Capability Gap: What capabilities do you need? Do you have them or can you build/buy them?

Investment Required: What resources (capital, people, time) does this lever demand?

Time to Impact: How quickly can this lever generate meaningful growth?

Risk Profile: What could go wrong? How severe would failure be?

Building a Growth Portfolio

Effective growth strategies typically focus on 2-3 levers rather than all seven. Common combinations:

Core Expansion: Levers 1 + 2 (more from existing customers, acquire new customers). Lower risk, builds on proven model.

Product-Led Growth: Levers 1 + 3 (deepen customer relationships with new products). Requires product development strength.

Geographic Expansion: Levers 2 + 5 (new customers in new geographies). Requires operational scalability.

Transformation: Levers 4 + 7 (new businesses via internal development and acquisition). Highest risk, requires strategic discipline.

Sequence matters. Build Lever 1 strength before aggressive Lever 2 expansion—customer success with existing customers proves the model. Prove organic growth before M&A—acquirers pay for growth track records.

Presenting Growth Strategy

The visual pathway in this template shows how levers connect and sequence. Use it to:

1. Show current state: Where does growth come from today? Which levers are active?

2. Identify gaps: Which levers are under-exploited? Where is untapped potential?

3. Present strategy: Which levers will drive future growth? In what sequence?

4. Quantify opportunity: What's the revenue potential from each priority lever?

The action title should state the strategic focus: "Geographic expansion and M&A will drive 60% of growth over next five years" or "Shifting from customer acquisition to customer expansion as primary growth lever."

Capability Requirements by Lever

Each lever demands different capabilities:

| Lever | Key Capabilities Required | |-------|--------------------------| | 1. Existing customer expansion | Customer success, account management, product breadth | | 2. New customer acquisition | Marketing, sales, competitive positioning | | 3. New products, existing customers | R&D, product management, customer insight | | 4. New products, new customers | Entrepreneurship, venture capability, patience | | 5. New geographies | Local market knowledge, operational flexibility | | 6. New channels | Digital capability, partner management | | 7. M&A | Deal sourcing, due diligence, integration |

Assess capability gaps honestly. Pursuing levers where you lack required capabilities leads to expensive failures.

Integration with Other Frameworks

The Seven Degrees framework complements:

Ansoff Matrix: Provides the 2x2 foundation; Seven Degrees adds granularity.

3 Horizons: Helps sequence growth initiatives across time horizons.

BCG Matrix: Portfolio analysis shows which businesses fund which growth initiatives.

Strategic Pillars: Translates lever choices into communication framework.

For worked growth strategy examples using the Ansoff framework, see our Ansoff Matrix Examples. For the full strategic toolkit, explore the Strategic Frameworks Guide.

For related strategic frameworks, see our Ansoff matrix template, McKinsey 3 Horizons template, and strategic initiatives template.