Fired US general to lecture on 'coping with failure' at Yale
AFP
WASHINGTON- The former US commander in Afghanistan, sacked over a disastrous magazine interview, plans to teach Yale University students about "coping with failure" and the "media environment" in his course on leadership.
The syllabus for retired General Stanley McChrystal's graduate-level seminar reads almost like a point-by-point account of his missteps, including classes devoted to "navigating politics", "loyalty, trust and relationships" and "communicating the story -- the media environment".
General Stanley McChrystal
In the article, "The Runaway General", McChrystal and his staff scoffed at their civilian counterparts in the administration, while some of his aides made dismissive remarks about President Barack Obama.
Even before the magazine piece ran, McChrystal was reprimanded by Obama for offering his opinions in public at a time when the White House was carrying out a sensitive review of war strategy.
And US officials reportedly suspected McChrystal used the media to try to force Obama's hand on a request for more troops.
As commander, McChrystal was a relative newcomer to the public spotlight, and one of his classes may be aimed at warning students about the publicity that accompanies powerful posts.
The November 30 session is titled: "The Leader -- the Personal Impact of Responsibility, Notoriety and Other Realities", according to the syllabus first published in the university paper, the Yale Daily News.
McChrystal is teaching the course at Yale's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs every Tuesday, but students have been told that what goes in the classroom stays in the classroom.
Students can talk with the media about their impressions of the class, but "the seminar itself will be off the record", the research assistant for the course, Eric Robinson, advised the students in a note.
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