Donald O. Clifton

Career Clifton taught and researched educational psychology at the University of Nebraska from 1950 to 1969. During this time, Clifton researched university tutors to study talent and what distinguished talented people from others.

According to Clifton, psychologists typically studied what was wrong with people, not why they excelled. He also identified that successful people had certain personal attributes that benefited them in their work. When Clifton left the university, he founded Selection Research Inc. (SRI) in Lincoln, Nebraska, helping private and public entities with employee selection. He co-authored the 2001 book Now, Discover Your Strengths with Marcus Buckingham, offering advice on determining employees' strengths and using those qualities for success at work. In 2007, the book was updated by Tom Rath and called StrengthsFinder 2.0, which is among Amazon's 20 bestselling books of all time. Gallup's books helped grow the company's consulting division's revenue from $2 million in 1998 to $50 million in 2001. In 2002, the American Psychological Association honored Clifton with a lifetime achievement award as "the father of strengths-based psychology and the grandfather of positive psychology".

Published works Soar with Your Strengths with Paula Nelson. Delacorte Press, 1992. Now, Discover Your Strengths with Marcus Buckingham. Free Press, 2001. How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life with Tom Rath . Gallup Press (2004) StrengthsQuest with Edward "Chip" Anderson