The former union leader and lawyer is the Labour Party's fifth leader in just six years.
That alone demonstrates Labour is disunited and struggling within, unable to win clear support among its own supporters let alone be seriously considered by the wider electorate as an alternative government.
Mr Little, a former Labour Party president, faces a tough task.
Perhaps most concerning for the 49-year-old - other than his length of tenure, given recent history - is that, to many voters, the Labour Party is all but irrelevant.
Since John Key led National to its election win in 2008, he and his governments have ridden a wave of popularity.
Despite various mis-steps, gaffes, sackings and controversy, National has continually enjoyed commanding leads in the polls.
Its past two election wins have been little more than romps (given the country's MMP system) and more and more misery has consequently been heaped on its main opponents.
September's election was particularly devastating to Labour.
Its share of the vote fell to an historic low of slightly more than 25%.
(Mr Little himself did not win the seat of New Plymouth, but was elected as a list MP. National will play on that fact, and that Labour's vote in New Plymouth has dropped considerably since Mr Little became its candidate.)
A week after this year's election - and what a drawn-out week it was - then leader David Cunliffe resigned.
Mr Cunliffe, 12 months earlier, had replaced David Shearer in the position. Mr Shearer succeeded Phil Goff, who followed departing Prime Minister Helen Clark into the chair after Labour lost the 2008 election, following nine years in power.
Mr Goff led the party to its 2011 election defeat.
How long will Mr Little be in the job?
Despite protestations to the contrary from those inside the party, it would be hard to guarantee he will lead them to election day 2017.
In order to be safe, Mr Little probably needs to see the party gain towards another 15% or more support in the polls.
Such instability - and insecurity - should be bemoaned by voters.
Our democracy is strengthened when we have a strong opposition capable of not only holding the government to account, but also of being a viable contender for election to the treasury benches.
One of the sad facts of modern political life in the West is that leaders, parties and political commentators have become completely poll-driven, as if politics was a sporting contest.
Earlier this month, indigenous leader Noel Pearson spoke at the state memorial service for former Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam, who died in October.
Mr Whitlam's Labor Party governed for just three - extremely turbulent - years from 1972.
Mr Pearson's powerful eulogy included references to the importance of political will, beyond the mere business of staying in power: ''Assessments of those three highly charged years and their aftermath divide between the nostalgia and fierce pride of the faithful, and the equally vociferous opinion that the Whitlam years represented the nadir of national government in Australia. Let me venture a perspective. The Whitlam government is the textbook case of reform trumping management ... The breadth and depth of the reforms secured in that short and tumultuous period were unprecedented, and will likely never again be repeated. The devil-may-care attitude to management as opposed to reform is unlikely to be seen again by governments whose priorities are to retain power rather than reform.''
Clearly, political management is important, and no-one enters politics to be in opposition.
As such, everyone recognises the odd dead rat must be swallowed. And the polls do provide their own message.
But Labour has - once again - made its choice. Labour's MPs, and the wider party at large, must recognise the time for in-fighting is long past.
Mr Little needs the time and support to develop into an effective parliamentary leader.
He - and Labour - need to identify and articulate exactly what the party stands for in the 21st century, to demonstrate its vision for this country, to provide real and viable leadership.
The New Zealand voting public deserves no less.
