I missed it completely the first time around, but then I didn't have eyes to see it. It was just a fleeting moment in nearly four hours of film, but it holds potential for great meaning.

On Oct 16, 1992, more than 18,000 concertgoers filled Madison Square Garden to celebrate 30 years of recordings by Bob Dylan.  "Bobfest," as it was dubbed by Neil Young, was filled with headlining acts performing Dylan tunes and culminated in an appearance by the man himself.

One of the performers was Johnny Cash, accompanied by his wife, June Carter Cash. Johnny had recorded with Dylan in Feb 1969, with just one of their twelve cuts making it onto Dylan's "Nashville Skyline."  More than 20 years later Cash joined the celebration of Dylan's contribution to the art of music-making.

During the evening the performers took turns introducing other acts. So it was fitting that Johnny Cash stepped to the mike to introduce a trio of female performers: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, and Rosanne Cash.

The moment occurred just following the introduction as the three women made their way on stage. Barely visible on the right-hand side of the screen you can see Johnny Cash rush to give his daughter a kiss on the cheek. It is that kiss that got me thinking.

Perspective #1: The loving father

In 1992 I watched the 30th anniversary concert live on TV, but completely missed Johnny kissing Rosanne. But now, watching on Blu-ray in 2014 and having a 16 year old daughter, I noticed the kiss and thought about how I would feel introducing my daughter as she stepped up to demonstrate her gifting. Pride, love, well-wishes - a lot can be conveyed in a simple kiss.

Perspective #2: The proud daughter

But then I started thinking about how Rosanne may have felt when her father rushed to her side and gave her a simple kiss on the cheek. Perhaps she felt pride to be associated with the great Johnny Cash and happy that they could share this moment.

Perspective #3: The enshadowed daughter

Of course, it is possible that Rosanne resented the kiss because she had spent her life trying to demonstrate to others that she is a musical artist in her own right. That having the name "Cash" may have opened doors, but it didn't keep them open. Only her songwriting talent and voice kept her in the spotlight and here again was a reminder to everyone that she wasn't just Rosanne Cash, but Rosanne Cash, daughter of Johnny (her mother was Johnny's first wife, Vivian, and not June Carter Cash).

The Application

How does this matter? It was just a fleeting moment barely visible to many, possibly recognized by few.

As leaders we need to open doors for those that follow. I attended a first-rate graduate school in Northwestern University, but because I was a strong student and not a star, I never received the full attention of my professors. Their door-opening efforts went to others more gifted than I. But for those with opened doors I'm sure there was a need to prove that they deserved to be in the room on their own merits and not merely as the protégé of a particularly well-known scholar.

Love your protégées. Invest in their success. Provide them with opportunities to demonstrate their gifts. Open doors they would take years to pry open on their own. But remember that your "kiss" (metaphorically speaking) can both give life and return others to shadow.

Check your motives. Is the "kiss" appropriately timed and in the right venue? Is it a way to draw attention back to yourself? Whether real or imagined, may it be construed as a subtle reminder that your protégé is just that - yours?

For me this simple moment served as a reminder that we are in the business of nurturing and freeing leaders to be themselves and not to remind everyone of our role in their success.

To put this in terms that many may better understand, can Phil Jackson help to turn the NY Knicks around without the success of the coaches and players becoming the success of the club's president?

Maybe Johnny, as he brushed past his daughter, should have simply whispered, "I'm so proud of you."