Divided Attention Podcast Examines How Unspoken Assumptions Influence Workplace and Social Dynamics

Two successfully proven leaders explore how unspoken assumptions shape trust, challenge perspectives, and open the door to authentic connection.

We’ve both been in rooms where assumptions run deep,” Peterson reflects. “The real work is creating environments where no one feels like they’re standing on the sidelines waiting for an invitation.”— Don Peterson

In this candid and challenging episode of Divided Attention, host Don Peterson sits down with business leader and strategist André Davis for a conversation that goes far beyond surface-level diversity talk. Together, they dig into how implicit bias and unspoken assumptions shape interactions on all sides, and how these biases can be acknowledged, challenged, and overcome. From the start, Davis makes it clear: progress begins when people stop reducing one another to labels and start building trust through shared humanity. But trust, both men agree, isn’t automatic. It’s shaped by lived experiences, some of which create confidence, while others create caution.

“Implicit bias isn’t always malicious; it’s often rooted in what we’ve seen and lived,” Davis explains. “But those experiences can keep us from walking into a room fully as ourselves.”

Peterson challenged Davis on some of his concerns and pushed back on the notion that only whites have implicit biases. He also questioned whether Davis’s humility about his journey stems partly from race, and if it unintentionally downplays the choices and persistence that got him where he is. Throughout the discussion, both men share stories that flip the script on who holds bias and how it plays out in real life. They talk about the mutual responsibilities in bridging differences: for those in the majority to invite and include, and for those in the minority to build trust that authenticity is welcome. Sometimes, that means confronting blind spots in leadership; other times, it means recognizing when fear of exclusion is rooted in past wounds, rather than the present reality.

“We’ve both been in rooms where assumptions run deep,” Peterson reflects. “The real work is creating environments where no one feels like they’re standing on the sidelines waiting for an invitation.”

Their exchange isn’t about winning a debate; it’s about finding the meeting point between lived reality and good intent, even when those perspectives clash. It’s also about the courage to ask uncomfortable questions and the grace to answer them without retreat.

WHY LISTEN TO ANY OF OUR 8 PODCASTS NOW AT DIVIDEDATTENTIONPOD.COM?
● To Open Your Eyes: Uncover powerful stories often lost in the noise or too uncomfortable for polite society.
● To Educate: Learn from the lived experiences of those you might never meet.
● Hear things that will challenge your assumptions and shake your belief system.
● Get Motivated: Be inspired by stories of perseverance, transformation, and hope.

“At Trondheim Studios, we could not be more proud to be Mr. Peterson’s production partner. Having a ringside seat to each episode is an education and his extraordinary ability to communicate consistently leads to thought-provoking and meaningful conversations.” — Jeremey & Amber, Trondheim Studios.

ABOUT DIVIDED ATTENTION
Who’s Don Peterson? Peterson has built and advised companies across the spectrum of healthcare, technology, and venture capital. As a serial entrepreneur, Peterson created his first startup, DeskStation Technology, in 1990. After a pivot to healthcare in 2012, he founded IVXpress, Inc. (originally known as Infusion Express, now IVXHealth). Peterson is all about strategy, partnerships, building exceptional teams, and driving systemic change. With Divided Attention, he extends this legacy, amplifying voices, fostering empathy, and inviting listeners to engage with the world more thoughtfully and courageously. He lives with his wife of 47 years in the Kansas City exurbs and enjoys spending his time with his 5 grandchildren.
Divided Attention Podcast is available now on all major streaming platforms or at dividedattentionpod.com

Don Peterson
Divided Attention
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