Success breeds contempt in those who cannot match it

The ancient wisdom your critics hope you never learn

- SANJITH HANNUMAN

A SENIOR executive I know closed a transaction that saved her company R50 million and secured 200 jobs.

Within 48 hours, boardroom whispers began: "She's too aggressive." "She plays politics." "Lucky timing." When excellence cannot be denied, critics pivot to character assassination.

Consider this African proverb: "They found no wrong with the rose, so they complained it has thorns." Have you heard of it? Do you know what it means? Here is another: "They found no harm in the lotus, so they said it grows in marshy lands." How many of us understand what these observations reveal about professional success? These proverbs describe a phenomenon playing out daily in boardrooms and executive suites: when your performance becomes unimpeachable, critics attack everything adjacent - your style, your background, your methods, even your personality. Not because these are problematic, but because your work cannot be faulted. If you have built something significant or outperform your peers, you have encountered this. The attacks come disguised as concern, wrapped in constructive feedback, delivered with a smile. But make no mistake - this is about diminishing what others cannot match. What follows examines why this happens, how to navigate it without compromising your trajectory, and how to ensure you never become the person wielding the knife.

Now that you understand these proverbs, let us examine how they manifest in professional life. A fund manager delivers 18% returns over five years. Her portfolio strategy is sound, her risk management impeccable. Yet critics focus on her "abrasive communication style" and "lack of team spirit." The thorns - her directness, her refusal to waste time on consensus for obvious decisions - become the target because her returns cannot be attacked. What they call thorns are necessary boundaries protecting her focus and results.