There’s a reason that cars have rear vision mirrors. Drivers need to look back. Obviously, that doesn’t mean they don’t need to look forward. They need to have one eye on what lies behind them, even while they have the other fixed firmly on what lies ahead. From time to time, you need to check what’s happening on the left and the right. But what really matters is what’s ahead and what’s behind.

The art of politics is concerned with what one does when in the driver’s seat and how to look after the passengers who are in your care. Understanding the way things have been done in the past allows the aspiring politician to adopt a cast of mind that provides the best guidance for addressing the challenges that lie ahead.

The author of this paper argues that there are two measures of success for political leaders:

1. Are they managing the politics of the society in which they operate?
2. Are they managing the policy challenges faced by the society?

The paper suggests that a successful leader needs a cast of mind that grasps how policy challenges can be addressed effectively, but also in keeping with the prevailing political dynamics.