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.