Success breeds a lot of things. There’s the saying that “success breeds success” which is often true. Success also breeds envy.
I’ve found envy easiest to spot and deal with when it has anger combined with it. The peevish tones of voice are the flag that there is something personal going on here. “Why is this person so irritated that I did well? Why are they so angry about how I did this? . . . Ohhh, they’re envious. *sigh*”
What has been harder for me to learn how to spot is the envy which hides behind very insistent and assertive helpfulness. I’ve done well on a project and now someone else very helpfully is trying to suggest other ways I should be doing this project, the next project I should taking on, and who I should be talking to or asking for help.
Amidst all these helpful suggestions, what happens if the helpful suggestions sound like they are not a good idea? I’ll often get the response “Oh, I’m sure it will be fine.”
Regardless of the purity of motive of the person being helpful, who ultimately bears the risks? Is it me? Is it someone else? Asking this question helps clear out a lot of the verbal and mental clutter that can accompany too many helpful suggestions.