--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When someone says, 'How long do you see…" description: "\"When someone says, 'How long do you see yourself captaining for?' you don't really know.\" — Alastair Cook" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/alastair-cook-4907_how_when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yo_384812.png" --- # When someone says, 'How long do you see yourself… ![“When someone says, 'How long do you see yourself captaining for?' you don't really know.” quote by Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/alastair-cook-4907_how_when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yo_384812.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/alastair-cook-4907_how_when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yo_384812.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/alastair-cook-4907_how_when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yo_384812.png) > “When someone says, 'How long do you see yourself captaining for?' you don't really know.” [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Future leadership duration is uncertain; predictions are speculative. **In simple terms:** Leadership tenure is unpredictable. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty in planning. Themes leadership uncertainty career planning Mood cautious pragmatic Type strategic professional When to use this quote - team meetings - personal career reviews - strategic workshops Key Concepts long‑term vision succession planning risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you prepare for unknown leadership spans? - What factors influence tenure length? A Different Perspective May lead to over‑cautiousness in ambition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“The poet Rumi says: "How long will we fill our pockets like children with dirt and stones? Let the world go. Holding it, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/the-poet-rumi-says-how-long-will-we-fill-our-pockets-like-children/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [“Who says only long tedious novels are good to read when all that can be summed up in one line”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyansh-shah/who-says-only-long-tedious-novels-are-good-to-read-when-all-that-can/) [Priyansh Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyansh-shah/) > [She says that long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmylou-harris/she-says-that-long-ago/) [Emmylou Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmylou-harris/) > [One thing on psychology, which we've always known, is that every investor says they're long-term - and they are until the market takes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-forbes/one-thing-on-psychology-which-we-ve-always-known-is-that-every/) [Steve Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-forbes/) > [“How long till you get her?" "Not long," she says. "Not long at all." He sighs again. "Good." "But dad?" "Yeah?" "Can you remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-e-smith/how-long-till-you-get-her-not-long-she-says-not-long-at-all-he-sighs/) [Jennifer E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [I don't care about what another says so long as my mind that thought it through beforehand - Kalyani Rajalingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalyani-rajalingham/i-don-t-care-about-what-another-says-so-long-as-my-mind-that-thought/) [Kalyani Rajalingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalyani-rajalingham/) > [I never dreamt of captaining Australia. I couldn't care less if I captained Australia or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-clarke/i-never-dreamt-of-captaining-australia-i-couldn-t-care-less-if-i/) [Michael Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-clarke/) > [The feeling of captaining our country to Asian Cup glory in 2015, and to have been able to contribute to achieving success for Australia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-jedinak/the-feeling-of-captaining-our-country-to-asian-cup-glory-in-2015-and/) [Mile Jedinak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-jedinak/) > [I truly love captaining. I've grown into enjoying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab-de-villiers/i-truly-love-captaining-i-ve-grown-into-enjoying-it/) [AB de Villiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab-de-villiers/) > [I loved captaining and trying to win games - but I wasn't enjoying batting any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-strauss/i-loved-captaining-and-trying-to-win-games-but-i-wasn-t-enjoying/) [Andrew Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-strauss/) > [Captaining South Africa was definitely not one of my goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab-de-villiers/captaining-south-africa-was-definitely-not-one-of-my-goals/) [AB de Villiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab-de-villiers/) > [When I am captaining a side, the way I play would be the way my team plays as well. If I will be joking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-gambhir/when-i-am-captaining-a-side-the-way-i-play-would-be-the-way-my-team/) [Gautam Gambhir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-gambhir/) > [I have always worked hard and there's nothing that can compare to captaining India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajinkya-rahane/i-have-always-worked-hard-and-there-s-nothing-that-can-compare-to/) [Ajinkya Rahane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajinkya-rahane/) > [It's in my head that I am a leader, and captaining Monchengladbach was very good for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/granit-xhaka/it-s-in-my-head-that-i-am-a-leader-and-captaining-monchengladbach-was/) [Granit Xhaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/granit-xhaka/) > [More than playing, my greatest moments and love of the game come from captaining England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nasser-hussain/more-than-playing-my-greatest-moments-and-love-of-the-game-come-from/) [Nasser Hussain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nasser-hussain/) ## More by Alastair Cook > [That is one of the great things about Test cricket, the ball. Sometimes it swings conventionally, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it reverses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/that-is-one-of-the-great-things-about-test-cricket-the-ball-sometimes/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [No disrespect to county cricket but when you're playing for England it is the ultimate, it is what has always driven me to push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/no-disrespect-to-county-cricket-but-when-you-re-playing-for-england/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [Test cricket gives ultimate satisfaction that I don't think any other type of cricket does due to the nature and longevity of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/test-cricket-gives-ultimate-satisfaction-that-i-don-t-think-any-other/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [Everyone has technical flaws - no matter how many runs you score.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/everyone-has-technical-flaws-no-matter-how-many-runs-you-score/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [When I was made captain, one of my things was that whatever happens in those four years, you don't want to make major changes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/when-i-was-made-captain-one-of-my-things-was-that-whatever-happens-in/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [You're never as good as people say you are and you're never as bad as people say you are. You're always in the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/you-re-never-as-good-as-people-say-you-are-and-you-re-never-as-bad-as/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [I have loved cricket my whole life, from playing in the garden as a child, and will never underestimate how special it is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/i-have-loved-cricket-my-whole-life-from-playing-in-the-garden-as-a/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [Without sounding arrogant, I achieved a lot more than I thought I would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/without-sounding-arrogant-i-achieved-a-lot-more-than-i-thought-i/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [I've got that ruthlessness inside me. All good captains have to be able to say things like that - with good man-management skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/i-ve-got-that-ruthlessness-inside-me-all-good-captains-have-to-be/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [As cricketers we're judged on the average we have from being a 21-year-old who's just come into international cricket to the day you retire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/as-cricketers-we-re-judged-on-the-average-we-have-from-being-a-21/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [You just Sanisa in the death overs. He is simply the best in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/you-just-sanisa-in-the-death-overs-he-is-simply-the-best-in-the-world/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [Self-belief is certainly an issue you need to make sure you look after when you've lost heavily in two games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/self-belief-is-certainly-an-issue-you-need-to-make-sure-you-look/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [Learning on the job as England captain is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/learning-on-the-job-as-england-captain-is-hard/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [Throughout my career I have done it my way and used my stubborn streak. I thought the best way to captain was to shut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/throughout-my-career-i-have-done-it-my-way-and-used-my-stubborn/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [When I first came into the side as captain, I was accused of being quite conservative, quite negative, and just doing what Andrew Strauss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/when-i-first-came-into-the-side-as-captain-i-was-accused-of-being/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) [Explore all 105 Alastair Cook quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) ## More How quotes > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [I was very lucky to get well known much later in life. You need to have flopped quite a few times to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-was-very-lucky-to-get-well-known-much-later-in-life-you-need-to/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [This is how McGregor is, waging mental warfare before the fights. There's no way that guy is going to get in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/this-is-how-mcgregor-is-waging-mental-warfare-before-the-fights-there/) [Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/) > [I think everyone will agree that it doesn't matter how we get to an international tournament. We are going to do whatever it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/i-think-everyone-will-agree-that-it-doesn-t-matter-how-we-get-to-an/) [John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/) > [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/when-you-see-how-fragile-and-delicate-life-can-be-all-else-fades-into/) [Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I've never had a couch that needed to be cleaned or learned how to couch-clean in general. That feels too grown-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mckinnon/i-ve-never-had-a-couch-that-needed-to-be-cleaned-or-learned-how-to/) [Kate McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mckinnon/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) Browse all 14,172 How quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When someone says, 'How long do you see yourself captaining for?' you don't really know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alastair Cook" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yourself-captaining-for-you-don/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "How" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yourself-captaining-for-you-don/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/alastair-cook-4907_how_when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yo_384812.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/alastair-cook-4907_how_when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yo_384812.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/alastair-cook-4907_how_when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yo_384812.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When someone says, 'How long do you see yourself captaining for?' you don't really know.” — Alastair Cook", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alastair Cook", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When someone says, 'How long do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yourself-captaining-for-you-don/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/when-someone-says-how-long-do-you-see-yourself-captaining-for-you-don/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```