Be Humble

וְאִתְּכֶ֣ם יִֽהְי֔וּ אִ֥ישׁ אִ֖ישׁ לַמַּטֶּ֑ה אִ֛ישׁ רֹ֥אשׁ לְבֵית־אֲבֹתָ֖יו הֽוּא: וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ שְׁמ֣וֹת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים
אֵ֚לֶּה קְרוּאֵ֣י (כתיב קריאי) הָֽעֵדָ֔ה נְשִׂיאֵ֖י מַטּ֣וֹת אֲבוֹתָ֑ם רָאשֵׁ֛י אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הֵֽם:
וַיִּקַּ֥ח משֶׁ֖ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֑ן אֵ֚ת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִקְּב֖וּ בְּשֵׁמֽוֹת

Why are Klal Yisrel introduced to the נשיאים like its a first time meeting, they already were the נשיאים when they offered the korbanos for the chanukas hamikdash?  Why are they called אנשים, without a title if they were already appointed as נשיאים?  Rav Shwab says Klal Yisroel already accepted them as נשיאים before hand but to be considered a נשיא, to represent their tribe before Hashem they had to view themselves as אנשים, as simple people without any ego.  Only them can they be a proper נשיא.
With this idea he explains the midrash (1:7) דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כַּמִּדְבָּר, הֶפְקֵר, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִקְנוֹת אֶת הַחָכְמָה וְהַתּוֹרָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי.  In order to acquire Torah, one must remove the I that separates between himself and Hashem.