Most people listen for problems to fix. Brent Robertson listens for the future that hasn't arrived yet.

In this episode, Jonathan Domsky sits down with Brent Robertson — founder of Be Generative and creator of generative listening — to explore building organizations around listening differently.

Brent moved five times before age seven, was diagnosed with dyslexia, and spent years in the back of the classroom — until he discovered art, and realized his primary language was imagery and relationship. That shift became the foundation for his career.

This conversation goes deep — into listening to create space versus listening to understand, the logic behind self-sabotage, and a vision exercise that leaves Brent reaching for Rilke.

If you've ever wondered what you're capable of once someone makes room — this one's for you.

In this episode:

• Why visual thinkers experience relationship and content simultaneously — and what that means for listening
• "If you understand what I'm talking about, you're not listening" — unpacking a question that took a decade to answer
• Generative listening's two axes: temporal (future vs. familiar) and existential (identity vs. behavior)
• Why most business listening is tuned for problems — and what changes when you listen for what's working
• The hidden logic behind self-sabotage, and a gentler way to ask "why do I do this?"
• Leadership reimagined as creator, curator, and choreographer of possibility
• Finding the right kind of suffering — and why mountains, marathons, and hard conversations all serve the same purpose
• A live vision exercise for June 2027, and what it feels like to hear your future reflected back to you

Timestamps:

• 04:21 – Listening as a visual thinker: relationship and content at once
• 06:45 – Meeting Mel Toomey and a new vocabulary for human systems
• 08:19 – "If you understand what I'm talking about, you're not listening"
• 09:57 – Condition-setting and leadership as choreography
• 14:03 – Generative listening: the temporal and existential axes
• 16:20 – Why we rarely listen for what's working
• 18:33 – Self-sabotage, immunity to change, and asking better questions
• 25:41 – Listening characters, and connecting with people whose goals you can't see
• 29:43 – From Fathom to Be Generative: partnership, solo founding, and finding your zone of genius
• 33:06 – Giving yourself permission: grace, patience, and incomplete to-do lists
• 38:25 – Mountains, marathons, and the right kind of suffering
• 46:24 – A vision exercise for June 2027
• 50:02 – Redesigning leadership: creator, curator, choreographer

Connect with Brent Robertson

Website: be-generative.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentrobertson/

Connect with Jonathan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/

Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur