Marcus Buckingham is an independent consultant, author, and speaker. He is considered one of the world's leading authorities on employee productivity and the practices of leading and managing. 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 his 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). In his books Buckingham gives important insights to maximize strengths, understand the crucial differences between leadership and management, and fulfill the quest for long-lasting personal success.