HERSHEY, Pa. — Jeff Baxter, famed guitarist from the Doobie Brothers andSteely Dan, converted his love and understanding of music to helpthe highest levels of the Defense Department to new ways of thekeeping the country safe.

Baxter, who currently serves as chairman of the CivilianAdvisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense, explained toattendees of the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association CONNECTConference on Friday how he made the leap and, using asymmetricalthinking, credit unions can find success, too.

He joked that credibility was hard among his friends in themusic business, much less among defense specialists.

He described his first encounter at Lockheed Martin, whichincluded a highly dumbed-down explanation of the project they wereconsidering him for. Baxter listened patiently while sitting backin his Grateful Dead T-shirt until the presentation wascompleted.

He then proceeded to ask several highly technical questions theLockheed Martin executives apparently weren't prepared to hear froma rock star. Finally they got down to business.

Baxter's first piece of advice: In a negotiation, alwaysput yourself in a situation where you'reunderestimated.

Baxter noted that people, even some of the most conservativemembers of Congress, really appreciate his outsider's point ofview.

Baxter advised that people trust their gut feelingmore. He recently retired after 15 years with the LosAngeles Police Department, and the officers use an acronym there,JDLR meaning something “just doesn't look right.”

He said he believes the environment and the media among otherthings keep people from trusting themselves as much as theyshould.

That's what improvisation and creativity in crisis is all about,whether on the battlefield or in business. But it's within aframework.

Baxter used the example of an orchestra in which the conductorcan impose his personal impression on the music but he's stillplaying from a written piece of music. He noted that nearly everyphysicist he'd ever met was a musician.

Jazz improvisation is similar and it's not as hard as it looks.“It's very simple,” he said. “It just doesn't look simple. Jazz isbased on strong set of rules. The concept of jazz is based on atheme, a melody. Each musician then steps out from the band andbegins to improvise.”

The trumpet player plays his rendition of the same music, andthen the saxophone and so on. Finally, they conclude with theoriginal theme.

“Each musician was doing an analysis of the product,” Baxtersaid, drawing the parallel. Not everyone is a musician, but we'veall improvised in other areas, he pointed out.

By breaking down anything to its most basic elements,you can tweak different pieces and improvise a masterpiece,according to Baxter. That's how he came to understand theconnection between music and science. For example, the A string onhis guitar vibrates 440 time per second, he said. However, when youmultiply that frequency by a certain equation, the eyes pick up thevibrations as green.

It all starts with the preparation framework.

Be 110% prepared, Baxter recommended, and if you are,the other side will lose the intellectual argument. Theother side often devolves into personal attacks and everyone willrecognize that.

Baxter strongly recommended reading the book, Boyd, TheFighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War, which is about JohnBoyd who drastically changed the way pilots fly and do battle inthe air.

Essentially, Baxter said, “Take what we knowand make it into somethingdifferent.” Take what credit unionshave known about banking over the past several decades, break itdown to its elements and apply the current economic and financialconditions, including globalization.

Making another analogy to science, Baxter remarked, “War anddiplomacy are basically the same thing; they're just differentstates like ice, water and steam.”

He added, “We are always in conflict with our fellow man,”whether it's negotiating a business deal or war or diplomacy.”

The Art of War, he said, is “something youdefinitely need to read.”