The late 20th-century British politician Enoch Powel once wrote that “all political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure because that is the nature of politics and human affairs”. Many will agree with this statement but one needs to understand the metrics by which political success can be measured.

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister since 2017, shocked her country and many others who follow international politics when she announced that she was resigning as prime minister. She said that, following a period of reflection over Christmas, she no longer had the energy to carry on as leader of the government and would resign rather than contest a general election in October.

So, was Ardern’s political career a failure like that of many other politicians? Bryce Edwards, a political analyst at Victoria University, in Wellington, remarked that Ardern had risen to power “out of nothing” at a time when left-wing parties were in retreat. She had undoubted charisma and a large dose of empathy. Edwards argues that “she was a revelation and a nice counter to populist, reactionary politics”.

Comparisons with the way that former US president Donald Trump and British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss left office are inevitable.

Rather than clinging on to power at all costs, Ardern chose to leave, admitting her weakness as a human being to deal with her country’s current challenges.

Admittedly, public sentiment towards Ardern’s administration has soured this year as New Zealand grapples with a cost-of-living crisis, a sharp rise in interest rates, lower house prices and a surge in crime. Her success in dealing with the COVID crisis won her many admirers but also many critics.

Some will argue that Ardern’s resignation was motivated more by the possible loss of power as the New Zealand Labour Party lags behind the opposition National Party in recent opinion polls. Others believe that the fact that Ardern has been tipped to be given a role with the United Nations may have been behind her decision to leave office.

Only time will tell whether Ardern’s decision was an example of politics with a human face or just a shrewd tactical political move.

The public’s trust in politics is undoubtedly waning in many countries. Many people have learned to distinguish between glitzy political rhetoric reported in traditional and social media and genuine empathy with the hardships many families face in silence. The dynamics of politics in a democracy are often flawed, as ordinary people only have one chance in four or five years to decide whether their political leaders are indeed working to make their lives better. Still, no better system has as yet proven to respect the dignity of people than that of parliamentary democracy.

International leaders like Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, and Justin Trudeau, Canada’s leader, generously acknowledged Arden’s legacy characterised by empathy for the concerns of ordinary people.

Albanese said: “Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities”.

The democratic world is facing formidable challenges as geopolitical and economic problems dent the well-being of families. Politicians need to invest more in their relationship with ordinary citizens by practising empathy rather than phoney public relations.

As she made the resignation announcement, Ardern described her style of leadership as a belief that one can be “kind but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused”.

That’s a model for other leaders to emulate.