In his book, he draws from his own experiences to argue that the root cause of the economic crisis was not subprime mortgages but rather subprime leadership. Drawing from his personal experiences in the business world, he discusses 7 lessons that will be helpful to leaders of all ages and all organizational levels in navigating through a range of crisis situations. In summation, George's recommendations include:

- Face reality, starting with yourself.
- Don't be Atlas; get the world off your shoulders.
- Dig deep for the root cause.
- Get ready for the long haul.
- Never waste a good crisis.
- You're in the spotlight; follow True North.
- Go on offense; focus on winning now.

Bill George is a professor of management at Harvard Business School, where he has taught leadership practices since 2004, and the former Chairman and CEO of Medtronic Inc, the world's largest medical technology company. He has been named one of PBS's "Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years," and he is the author of three best-selling books: True North, Finding Your True North, and Authentic Leadership. He operates a brand new website at www.billgeorge.com, which features pages promoting 7 Lessons, Bill's other books, and his upcoming speaking events.