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United States Marcus Buckingham is an English author, motivational speaker, and business consultant known for his work on strengths-based management and employee engagement.
Marcus Buckingham spent seventeen years at the Gallup Organization, where he conducted research into the world's best leaders, managers, and workplaces. He also co-created the StrengthsFinder tool. His work at Gallup formed the foundation for many of his best-selling books and concepts on strengths-based development.
Marcus Buckingham was associated with Dan Schawbel, a Partner of Millennial Branding, LLC, a full-service personal branding agency. This collaboration highlighted Buckingham's focus on individual strengths and personal branding.
Harvard Business Review Press published several of Marcus Buckingham's books, including "StandOut 2.0", "Nine Lies About Work", and "Love + Work". He also published the HBR cover article "The Feedback Fallacy" and joined the HBR editorial advisory board, showcasing his ongoing collaboration with a prominent business publication.
ADP, LLC acquired The Marcus Buckingham Company (TMBC) in January 2017. This acquisition expanded ADP's talent portfolio, integrating TMBC's management training programs and tools, including the StandOut assessment.
Marcus Wilfrid Buckingham was born on January 11, 1966, in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. He spent his early childhood in Radlett, Hertfordshire. Buckingham encountered a stammer in his early life, which he managed to overcome at 13 by adapting his speaking style. He attended Edge Grove School and Aldenham School before pursuing higher education at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social and Political Sciences in 1987. During his studies at Cambridge, Buckingham was recruited by educational psychology professor Donald O. Clifton, the founder of Selection Research, Incorporated (SRI). This early exposure to research on individual talents and workforce optimization laid the groundwork for his future career.
Buckingham’s career advanced significantly when SRI acquired The Gallup Organization in 1988, where he became a key member of a team focused on employee engagement. This work culminated in the co-authorship of “First, Break All the Rules” (1999) with Curt Coffman, which became a New York Times best-seller and sold over a million copies. The book detailed effective practices of successful managers, marking a turning point in his influence on business management. Following this success, he co-created the StrengthsFinder system and published “Now, Discover Your Strengths” (2001) with Donald O. Clifton, further solidifying his position as a leader in strengths-based development.
In 2006, Buckingham established The Marcus Buckingham Company (TMBC) to develop management training programs and tools, including the “Simply Strengths” workshop. TMBC launched products such as “Trombone Player Wanted” and the StandOut assessment, which has been completed by over 2 million individuals. In 2017, TMBC was acquired by ADP, LLC. Buckingham continues to be an active author and speaker, publishing works like “Nine Lies About Work” (2019) and “Love + Work” (2022). He also contributes to Harvard Business Review, publishing articles like “The Feedback Fallacy” and joining its editorial advisory board.
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