The principle
What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. The successor to a great figure is judged against a memory, and memory is forgiving.
The application
If you must follow a legend, define yourself in contrast, not in imitation. Doing what they did, only competently, is the road to footnote status.
The defensive tell, how to spot it being run on you
When you are offered a role vacated by a beloved predecessor, the negotiation is not about your terms — it is about whether you are walking into a memorial. Either change the role itself before accepting, or decline.