Marcus Buckingham

Marcus Buckingham graduated from Cambridge University in 1987, with a master's degree in social and political science. During his seventeen years with The Gallup Organization, Buckingham helped lead research into the world's best leaders, managers, and workplaces. He drew on this research and used it as the basis for two bestselling books: First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Best Managers Do Differently (coauthored with Curt Coffman) and Now, Discover Your Strengths (coauthored with Donald O. Clifton). His new book, The One Thing You Need to Know (The Free Press) was released in March 2005.

A subject of in-depth profiles in The New York Times, Fortune, and Fast Company, Buckingham, now an independent consultant, author, and speaker, is considered one of the world's leading authorities on employee productivity and the practices of leading and managing. He is a member of the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on Leadership and Management. He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles.