Whether making ill-considered comments (such as about his hard-earned personal wealth), looking like a startled possum in the headlights when speaking in the House, or when spiralling out a series of the placeholders and cliches that we have come to know so well — "What I would say to you is that we are clearing up the mess Labour left us" for example — Mr Luxon struggles to project that he is calm and assured.
Send him overseas though, and Christopher Luxon seems like a man transformed.
Maybe it is the relief of getting away from the hurly burly of domestic politics. Maybe it is because attending conferences, meeting people and making deals is closely akin to Mr Luxon’s previous and highly successful corporate career. Or maybe he projects more charisma to new acquaintances than he does to New Zealanders who have consistently given him low personal approval ratings in opinion polls.
Whatever it is, Mr Luxon has proven that he can excel on the international stage.
In fact, at times he looks even prime ministerial.
In March Mr Luxon visited India and exceeded all expectations by not only reviving what had been a moribund relationship with one of the world’s largest nations, but also resurrected hopes for a free-trade agreement between the two countries by relaunching negotiations for such a deal.
In April the prime minster visited the United Kingdom and held successful meetings with King Charles and Sir Keir Starmer, before successfully navigating the always trepidatious trip to the People’s Republic of China.
He also hosted a successful visit by Anthony Albanese, prime minister of New Zealand’s most important international partner, Australia — although it did include the faux pas of an expensive helicopter jaunt to the top of a Queenstown mountain to partake in a slice of pavlova for the cameras.
Before any New Zealand prime minister goes to Apec there is always the will they, won’t they question about whether they will meet the president of the United States.
Mr Luxon was coy about answering that, potentially because he knew what is called a "pull aside" in the diplomatic world was in the offing.
He remained elusive after the meeting as well, saying he wouldn't go into a "blow-by-blow" account of what was said.
However, when the two men met again soon after at a dinner with Mr Trump and several other world leaders, the pair seemed to have established an amiable rapport.
Some will have cringed during the painful photo-op banter about Mr Luxon’s hair and what New Zealand golf courses the president might like to play 18 holes on, but such small talk is important.
In the absence of reporters in the room, it is the only way to assess, beyond the bland media releases saying "Prime Minister Luxon met President Trump", just how well — or otherwise — the meeting went and what the status of New Zealand’s relationship with our second-largest export partner.
The president has famously had several cringe-worthy Oval Office meltdowns, haranguing various world leaders in front of the cameras. For the mercurial president to tell the waiting press that he liked "your man from New Zealand" suggests that a potential banana skin moment was avoided by Mr Luxon.
Whether it bodes well for the future is another matter — the president’s mood is as changeable as the tide — but for now Mr Luxon seems to have not only performed a tricky gymnastic routine but also nailed the dismount.
How Mr Luxon must wish such success could follow him home as a tricky election campaign looms.
