Stanley McChrystal to Teach Yale Students About 'Coping With Failure'

(Sept. 3) -- Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal isn't heading up military operations in Afghanistan anymore, but he appears ready to take the classroom by storm.

The syllabus is out for his fall leadership course at Yale, where the former four-star general will school graduate students on the intricacies of "coping with failure," "navigating politics" and "the effect of modern media."

McChrystal gathered plenty of first-hand course material for the seminar earlier this year, when he was forced to resign after publicly criticizing top White House officials in a much talked-about Rolling Stone story.

Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal smiles while speaking during his retirement ceremony at Fort McNair July 23, in Washington, DC.

Brendan Smialowski, Getty Images

Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, seen here in July, will be teaching a fall course on leadership at Yale University.

Since he was relieved of his post as the top military commander in Afghanistan in June, the general has joined the speaking circuit and signed on as a guest lecturer at the prestigious Ivy League university.

Eric Robinson, a Yale graduate student and research assistant for "Leadership in Operation," sent out the syllabus to enrolled students, and the Yale Daily News got a copy. According to the newspaper, the course includes a lecture titled "Loyalty, Trust and Relationships," and another called "The Leader -- the Personal Impact of Responsibility, Notoriety and Other Realities."

Robinson declined to comment, but the Yale Daily News confirmed to AOL News today that the awkwardly appropriate course description is the real deal. A look at some of the lesson plans from the former commander.

Sept. 7 -- "The Importance of Leading Differently -- The Changing Operating Environment"
Sept. 14 -- "Case Study: The Changing Military 1972-2010"
Sept. 21 -- "Role of a Leader"
Sept. 27 -- "Coping With Failure"
Sept. 28 -- "(Assignment 1 Due): "Building Teams -- What Makes Some Great"
Oct. 5 -- "Driving Change and Operating Differently"
Oct. 12 -- "Navigating Politics"
Oct. 19 -- "Making Difficult Decisions Pt. 1 -- How We Decide"
Oct. 26 -- "(Assignment 2 Due): "Making Difficult Decisions Pt. 2 -- Dealing With Risk"
Nov. 2 -- "Loyalty, Trust and Relationships"
Nov. 9 -- "Dealing With Cultural Differences"
Nov. 16 -- "Communicating the Story -- the Media Environment"
Nov. 30 -- "(Assignment 3 Due): "The Leader -- the Personal Impact of Responsibility, Notoriety and Other Realities"
Dec. 7 -- "The Future Leader"

Historical Examples:

Case Study 1: The career of Stanley McChrystal
Case Study 2: The 2002-2003 decision to invade Iraq
Case Study 3: The United States Civil War
Case Study 4: German Grand Strategy of World War 2

Primary Reading:

Filkins, Dexter. Stanley McChrystal's Long War. The New York Times Magazine. 18th October 2009. P. 36.

Though not on the reading list, the Rolling Stone article might also provide some useful background. McChrystal could not be reached for comment.

Read more at the Yale Daily News.