An Interview with Michael Ian Cedar, Mindset & Leadership Coach

In the performing arts, growth is often associated with technique, training, and performance. But behind every strong performer is something deeper: mindset, self-awareness, and the ability to navigate challenges with clarity.

Michael Ian Cedar is a professional mindset and leadership coach dedicated to helping artists and leaders develop the tools needed to grow, perform, and lead with confidence. With more than 20 years of experience in the dance and performing arts industry, including time as a tour manager for Broadway bus-and-truck productions such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Thoroughly Modern Millie, Michael brings a unique blend of artistic experience and leadership insight to his work. Today, he coaches high-level executives and creatives across multiple industries, helping performers and professionals strengthen mindset, communication, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.

We connected with Michael Ian Cedar to explore how performers can build resilience, define success on their own terms, and grow both on and off the stage.

What first sparked your passion for mindset and personal transformation?

“I can track this back to when I was as early as eight years old,” Cedar shares. “My dad used to listen to motivational cassette tapes in the car, and I grew up listening to people talk about mindset and leadership.” 

But his connection to mindset goes deeper than early exposure.

“I believe artists have an incredible amount of courage. To stand on a stage and say, ‘this is who I am… judge me, don’t judge me, like me, don’t like me.’” 

“I truly believe the arts are how we survive as a species. The arts are how we see ourselves. Inside of us, there’s a lot of noise. But the arts give us a safe place to bleed, a safe place to purge, a safe place to self-reflect.” 

As he worked through his own challenges, his purpose became clear.

“I wanted to take what I was learning and bring that to others.”

What are some mindset habits that highly successful performers and leaders tend to have in common, regardless of their industry?

“The moment an artist takes responsibility for guiding the audience, they become a leader. Leadership is influence. Leadership is not a position. Leadership is a set of behaviors. The most effective leaders I’ve worked with all have one thing in common: self-awareness. There’s no such thing as a perfect leader. But a self-aware leader is as close to perfect as you’re ever going to get.”

The performing arts can involve constant auditions, feedback, and rejection. What may help performers navigate those moments and maintain clarity under pressure?

In an industry driven by feedback and external validation, Cedar emphasizes the importance of defining success from within.

“First, we have to define success. Because if your definition of success is followers, likes, or external validation, then yes, rejection will hit hard. If you don’t know why you’re doing your art...if you don’t know what you want to bring through it, then everything becomes harder.” 

“If one person walks away feeling more free, more themselves, then I’ve succeeded.”

When it comes to practical mindset tools, is there a tangible strategy or exercise that young performers could start using right away?

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, Cedar encourages performers to take ownership of their experiences and trust their own internal guidance.

“I’ll say something most people in my field won’t say: I don’t have the answers. I have tools. But I don’t know which ones are right for you. Because the person who has the answers is you.” 

“The first mindset tool is ownership. Instead of saying, ‘that audition made me feel bad,’ ask, ‘what was it about that experience that created that reaction in me?’” 

He also highlights the importance of allowing emotions to flow rather than avoiding them.

“Don’t deny your emotions. Negative emotions are not the problem. Resistance to them is. Emotion is energy in motion. So feel what you feel, but stay curious. Ask, what is the gift here? What can I learn? What can I learn about myself?”

Looking at the performer as a whole person, what is your advice to those seeking personal growth, whatever it may look like to them?

Growth requires a willingness to fully experience emotions rather than avoid them, especially in a field as vulnerable as the performing arts.

“A fixed mindset says, ‘I need to be right.’ A growth mindset says, ‘I want to learn.’”

“The best performers stay open. They stay curious. They return to the basics, no matter how advanced they become. They walk in willing to say, ‘I don’t know. Tell me more.’” 

He also emphasizes openness in leadership.

“If you’re not willing to hear another perspective, you can’t lead. You can manage. You can control. But you can’t lead.” 

“Collaboration is the willingness to be transformed by another.”

If there was any message you could send into the universe to the young artist population today, what would it be?

At the core of Cedar’s philosophy is a shift in perspective, viewing challenges not as setbacks, but as opportunities for growth.

“Learn to stay curious. Learn to listen to connect. Start with yourself first. Because you cannot give to others what you cannot give to yourself.” 

“And I’ll leave you with this [once more]. There’s no such thing as a perfect leader. But a self-aware leader is as close to perfect as you’ll ever get.”

More About His Work

Through his coaching platform, The Legacy of You, Michael Ian Cedar works with performers, leaders, and organizations to develop mindset, leadership skills, and emotional awareness. His work focuses on helping individuals understand themselves more deeply, lead with intention, and create meaningful impact in both their personal and professional lives.

Learn more at www.thelegacyofyou.com