The document discusses the concept of seekership and how seekers can transform organizations and the world. It makes three key points: 1) Individual transformation through qualities like detachment, patience, and trust in God can create seekers who transform themselves. 2) When enough individuals in an organization become seekers, they can foster an environment where seekership and transformation are valued, transforming the organization. 3) If many organizations have enough seekers, their collective transformation has the potential to change the world for the better by promoting unity, justice, and inclusion. One seeker starting a ripple of change is the goal.

1. The Seeker
Organizational Change
Personal Transformation
(keynote by Vafa Akhavan)

2. The Seeker
Organizational Change
Personal Transformation

3. The Thesis
people can improve organizations by becoming Seekers
Seekers will create organizations that foster seekership
seekership is the organizational genome
organizations will transform when there’s a seeker
genome

4. The Journey

5. The Learnings
the world is but one country
and mankind its citizens
my world changes
when I change
a bird can only fly
when both wings
work in unity
justice is the
foundation for unity
i am nothing
i am everything
who i am
what i believe
prejudice is a virus
change management
organizational
development
strategy
brand
management
systems
technology
finance
p&l
diversity &
inclusion
hrprocess P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
complexity
back-biting is
cancer

6. The Quest
the one thing
the magic bullet
the golden nugget
the silver bullet

7. DOES NOT EXIST

8. or does it?

9. Human Capital
• The greatest asset
• The most important part of our business
• The greatest resource in the organization
• Our strategic imperative
• It’s what sets us apart
• Drives our culture

10. Human Capital Has Multiple Relationships
• Organizational structure
• Systems
• Processes
• Performance
management
• Resource allocation
• Strategy
• Technology
• Market conditions
• Customer experience
• Owner requirements
• Leadership
• Product

11. the person
what is the most common
denominator in all things?

12. i am the center of the universe
i’m not even a spec of dust
in the grand scheme of
things
The Struggle

13. Learnings And Insight Tracks
• from personal life experience
• from career and professional experience
• from the Baha’i Writings and participation in Baha’i activities

15. Seminal Experiences
1971
Leeds Junior Youth Weekend
1976
Counsels Of Perfection (foundation for being human)
1980s – 2015 Serving in various capacities and life as a Baha’i
1970s, 1990s, 2002 (transformative)
Tablet Of The True Seeker
2002 – 2013 (icing on the cake)
The Seven Valleys & The Four Valleys
The Valley of Search – what is before and after

16. The Fusion
every learning every insight

17. The Insight
change me, change my world
people change, the world
changes
THE INDIVIDUAL
THE COLLECTIVE

18. The Logic
• People are the most common denominators in all things
• Human capital is the organizations, and the world’s, greatest
asset
• If enough people transform
• Then the organization and the world changes

19. The Challenge
Transforming who I am is complicated
because I’m complicated

20. The Quest Continues
is there a single quality or attribute
you can change in a person to impact
everything?
is there something I can drop in the
ocean to cause an eternal ripple?

21. YES

22. Qualities & Attributes of a Seeker
s e
e
k
s
e
e
k
s e e k
s
e
e
k
s
e
e
ks
e
e
k
s e e ks e e k
s e
e
k
s e e k s e e k s e e k

23. The Seven Valleys
1. THE VALEEY OF SEARCH
2. THE VALLEY OF LOVE
3. THE VALLEY OF KNOWLEDGE
4. THE VALLEY OF UNITY
5. THE VALLEY OF CONTENTMENT
6. THE VALLEY OF WONDERMENT
7. THE VALLEY OF TRUE POVERTY AND ABSOLUTE NOTHINGNESS

24. what do you see?
why is he covering his face?
what do you see?
what is she feeling?
The Test

25. The Valley Of Search
The steed of this Valley is patience; without patience the
wayfarer on this journey will reach nowhere and attain no goal.
Nor should he ever be downhearted; if he strive for a hundred
thousand years and yet fail to behold the beauty of the Friend,
he should not falter.

26. The Seven Valleys
It is incumbent on these servants that they cleanse the heart—
which is the wellspring of divine treasures—from every marking,
and that they turn away from imitation, which is following the
traces of their forefathers and sires, and shut the door of
friendliness and enmity upon all the people of the earth.

27. The Seven Valleys
One must judge of search by the standard of the Majnún of
Love. It is related that one day they came upon Majnún sifting
the dust, and his tears flowing down. They said, “What doest
thou?” He said, “I seek for Laylí.” They cried, “Alas for thee!
Laylí is of pure spirit, and thou seekest her in the dust!” He said,
“I seek her everywhere; haply somewhere I shall find her.”

28. The Seven Valleys
The true seeker hunteth naught but the object of his quest, and
the lover hath no desire save union with his beloved. Nor shall
the seeker reach his goal unless he sacrifice all things. That is,
whatever he hath seen, and heard, and understood, all must he
set at naught, that he may enter the realm of the spirit, which is
the City of God. Labor is needed, if we are to seek Him; ardor is
needed, if we are to drink of the honey of reunion with Him; and
if we taste of this cup, we shall cast away the world.

29. The Seven Valleys
On this journey the traveler abideth in every land and dwelleth in
every region. In every face, he seeketh the beauty of the Friend; in
every country he looketh for the Beloved. He joineth every
company, and seeketh fellowship with every soul, that haply in
some mind he may uncover the secret of the Friend, or in some
face he may behold the beauty of the Loved One.
And if, by the help of God, he findeth on this journey a trace of the
traceless Friend, and inhaleth the fragrance of the long-lost Joseph
from the heavenly messenger, he shall straightway step into
THE VALLEY OF LOVE

30. We Always Seek
love
new worlds
justice
fame
approval
honor
attention
status
integrity
perfection
dominance
excellence
money
peace
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
trust
explanations
justificatio
n
P
answers
truth
possibility
right
fair
equity
rest
tranquility

31. The Divine Genius
Tablet Of The True Seeker is the catalyst
that impacts every aspect of life
•study ancillary and adjacent Writings
•qualities we must have
•how to apply them
•what we will achieve

32. The Ideal Qualities
• Rely upon and trust in God
• Detachment from the world of
dust
• No trace of love or hate
• Never seek to exalt self above
others
• Don’t promise what you can’t
deliver
• Cleanse the channel of human soul
• Perfect cleanliness of heart
• Poor in material wealth
• Rich in spiritual wellbeing
• Eliminate pride and vainglory
• Patience and resignation
• Silence and refrain from idle tal

33. The Promise
• Gems of divine knowledge
• Fragrance of mystic Flower
• Blossom of ancient wisdom
• Plants spring forth abundantly
• The knowledge of Ancient of
Days
• Mysteries unravelled
• Protection against error
• Closer to the truth
• Doubts and misgivings
dissipated
• Enveloped with knowledge
• A new eye, a new ear, a new
heart, and a new mind

34. People & Organizations
Seeker
Team
Work
Decision
Making
Producti
on
Innovatio
n
Leadersh
ip
Structure Solutions Marriage Family
Communi
ty
Seeker
Purpose Structure Relations Comp
Leadershi
p
Develop
ment
Clarity

35. Yin Yang
the person transforms
the organization fosters the transformation
Fostering transformation, transforms the
person

36. My Impact
world
continent
nation
organization
community
family
1
One Seeker
can change
the world

37. Conclusion
grow the number of seekers
change the world