It has frequently been remarked that Donald Trump is the luckiest man alive, but this week, the emphasis in the sentiment moved emphatically to the word “alive”. He literally almost dodged a bullet, save for a bit of ear.

Commentators are already speculating on how his lucky break might be sufficiently career enhancing to win back the presidency. Setting aside the dramatic nature of his luck this week, we should not be surprised when luck rears its head in career success.

Being in the right place at the right time can be all it takes to get a leg up on your colleagues.Credit: Tamara Voninski

One person who is likely unsurprised at Trump’s luck is Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, and also Assistant Minister for Employment. He published his thoughts on the topic in his book The Luck of Politics (2015, Black Inc).

Collecting together some wonderful tales of luck both good and bad, but being a numbers man at heart, he has the stats. For instance, you are 354 times more likely to serve in parliament if one of your parents did.

Your name could be the decider. A Middle Eastern name or a double-barrelled name knocks 2.3 percentage points off your vote. If it is hot on polling day (10C above the average), the sitting........

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