Swimming with Sharks: Enterprise AI Unleashed - S3 Episode 5: Anthony Coppedge

Welcome to another episode of Swimming with Sharks, where we take a deep dive into AI's impact on the enterprise. In this episode, Keving J. Dean sits down with Anthony Copage,  a true pioneer in AI-driven business agility. We explore how companies can leverage generative AI (GenAI) as a force multiplier, why clarity and alignment are now non-negotiable, and how leadership needs to evolve if businesses want to survive the coming tidal wave of change.

Episode Summary:

Introduction: Anthony Copage brings decades of experience in business transformation and AI strategy to the conversation. Together, we unpack why GenAI is not simply about upgrading technology, but about redefining leadership, rethinking organizational culture, and rebuilding processes for a faster, more customer-centered world

Interview Highlights:

• GenAI has made powerful capabilities accessible to the everyday user, much like the Internet did decades ago.
  Change management is more critical than technology management; you must "think differently" to lead differently.
  Companies need to stop "adding AI" as a buzzword and start aligning technology decisions to their mission and customer outcomes.
  Scaling bad processes with AI only amplifies dysfunction. Companies need to fix their data before they automate it.
  Building a "GenAI culture" isn't the point; building a value-driven, customer-centered, and adaptive culture is.

Key Takeaways:

1. GenAI is a force multiplier but it multiplies whatever you put in, good or bad.
2. Without clarity of mission and internal alignment, tech investments will only create more chaos.
3. True transformation starts with changing mindsets, not just adopting new tools.
4. Businesses must prioritize leading indicators (experiments and customer outcomes) over lagging ones (vanity metrics).
5. AI agents (agentic AI) will augment human teams, but empathy, leadership, and culture remain human responsibilities.

A Conversation with Anthony Coppedge on How AI Is Transforming Business Leadership

We are living through a tidal wave moment in business history. The rise of generative AIrepresents a fundamental shift in how companies must think, lead, and operate. In this episode of Swimming with Sharks, Anthony Copage offers a grounded, practical perspective on what it will take for businesses to not just survive, but thrive, in this new era.

Anthony's view is clear: the rate of change today is more disruptive than any individual technology change. GenAI is democratizing access to complex capabilities, putting advanced problem-solving tools in the hands of almost anyone. In his words, it's "as important as the birth of the Internet." And like the Internet, GenAI isn't the strategy but accelerates strategies. It magnifies whatever processes, mindsets, and systems you already have. If those systems are broken, GenAI just helps you break things faster.

The Leadership Mandate: Think Differently

One of the core ideas Anthony reinforced was the necessity to "think differently." You can't simply modify behavior and expect lasting results. Real change happens when you change minds and when leaders and teams understand why they need to operate differently. Without that deep shift, any AI initiative is just window dressing.

He points out that culture is not your mission statement or your values painted on a wall. Culture is what people actually do when nobody's watching. If you're trying to layer AI on top of a culture that tolerates poor processes, broken communication, or misaligned goals, you're building on sand.

The Myth of a "GenAI Culture"

Anthony challenges the trendy talk about creating a "GenAI culture." Technology isn't a culture. You don't have a "Microsoft Office culture" or a "Cloud culture." Culture is about people, purpose, and practices. The real questions are: Are we aligned on our mission? Are we delivering value to our customers? Are we agile enough to adjust to rapid market shifts?

If you are, then yes, GenAI can be a powerful accelerant. But if not, AI will expose and exacerbate your dysfunction.

Scaling Intelligently: Fix First, Multiply Later

Perhaps the most important takeaway from our conversation is this: before you apply AI or any force multiplier, fix your core processes. Get clarity on what good looks like. Map the customer journey. Eliminate friction. Anthony put it simply: "Suck less for a while. Eventually, you'll suck not at all."

It's not sexy, but it's the hard, necessary work. Companies that race to automate without introspection will find themselves scaling mistakes and inefficiencies at record speed.

Outcome-Driven Alignment (ODAM)

Anthony has developed the Outcome-Driven Alignment Model (ODAM) to help companies bridge the gaps between siloed teams. Instead of different departments chasing different goals, ODAM forces a cross-functional conversation about what success looks like for the customer first  and then how that success maps back to internal KPIs.

It's a way to align on outcomes instead of activities. It's also a mechanism to keep that alignment alive in a fast-moving environment. ODAM makes it easier to pivot before failure, not after.

Agents, Empathy, and the Future Workforce

We closed our discussion looking forward: how does the future workforce adapt as AI agents become part of the team?

Anthony made an important distinction: you manage bots; you lead humans. An agentic AI doesn't need empathy. But humans do. Future-ready leaders must create a "span of care," not just a "span of control." Caring about the whole person will be the enduring differentiator even in an increasingly automated world.

About Anthony Coppedge

Anthony Coppedge is a recognized leader in agile business transformation, AI adoption, and customer-centered leadership. With decades of experience spanning enterprise sales, marketing, and coaching teams, Anthony is known for helping organizations shift from siloed operations to outcome-driven collaboration. As the creator of the Outcome-Driven Alignment Model (ODAM), he helps businesses break through barriers to scale sustainably with both technology and heart.

You can connect with Anthony on LinkedIn for more of his latest thinking and resources.