From Ambition to Groundedness: A Humility Scholar’s Transformative Journey in Academia
The concept of humility, often extolled as a virtue across centuries, finds a contemporary and deeply personal examination through the professional journey of Dr. Michael J. Ackerman, a prominent sociologist specializing in medical education and healthcare providers. Dr. Ackerman, known for his work at Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, embarked on an unexpected path to truly grasp the essence of humility—a journey that began with a self-professed lack of it early in his career and culminated in a profound re-evaluation of his professional identity and purpose. His narrative offers a compelling case study on the evolving demands of academia and the intrinsic value of self-awareness in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Understanding Humility: A Nuanced Perspective
Humility, while widely admired, is frequently misunderstood or mischaracterized in modern culture. Dr. Ackerman’s extensive research into the attribute clarifies its distinction from superficial displays or psychological phenomena. It is not to be confused with "humblebragging," a thinly veiled boast disguised as modesty, such as "I hate talking about myself, but people keep asking how I ran a marathon while working full-time." Nor is it synonymous with the "impostor phenomenon," where individuals despite clear evidence of competence, persistently feel intellectually fraudulent.
Instead, scholarly research consistently defines humble individuals as those who possess accurate self-awareness regarding their abilities and achievements. They are characterized by an openness to new ideas, a willingness to acknowledge their mistakes and limitations, and a genuine appreciation for the contributions of others. This understanding positions them within a larger collective, recognizing their interdependent roles rather than asserting individual dominance. While humility can sometimes be misconstrued as weakness or subservience—a criticism leveled at figures like former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s empathetic leadership—its true form is increasingly recognized as a foundational element for effective leadership, collaboration, and personal growth. Fictional paragons like Ted Lasso, Samwise Gamgee, and Jean-Luc Picard, alongside public figures such as Jimmy Carter, Fred Rogers, and Nelson Mandela, embody this grounded self-awareness, demonstrating openness, curiosity, and a distinct lack of ego.
Dr. Ackerman’s research at Arizona State University, focusing on issues like healthcare provider burnout, team-based care, and human-centered healthcare, has increasingly converged on the study of humility. He posits that true humility is not self-erasure but rather a secure confidence that one’s value extends beyond external recognition. It fosters an environment ripe for collaboration, innovation, and a nuanced understanding of systemic interdependencies. However, in an era dominated by social media validation and professional accolades, cultivating humility remains a significant challenge, often requiring individuals to confront their deepest desires for affirmation.
The Early Trajectory: A "Hair on Fire" Pursuit of Recognition
Dr. Ackerman’s early career trajectory was marked by an intense drive to achieve visibility and influence within the academic sphere. Standing at 6-foot-4 with a distinctive appearance, he deliberately cultivated a professional persona that mirrored his physical presence: assertive, outspoken, and determined to make his voice heard. From his graduate school days, he actively sought out every conceivable opportunity—committee roles, positions, top-tier journal publications, conference presentations, and collaborations with prominent scholars—all while leveraging social media to disseminate his findings and thoughts.
Academia, like many professional domains, operates on a set of quantifiable success metrics. These typically include the volume and impact of publications (e.g., journal rankings, citation counts), securing external grant funding, and positive student teaching evaluations. The specific weighting of these metrics can vary significantly between institutions and departments, influencing career progression, particularly the attainment of tenure—a critical milestone offering job security and academic freedom. Dr. Ackerman’s approach, which he termed "making positive noise," was initially rewarded. During his tenure at the University of Delaware, he successfully navigated this system, achieving tenure, earning departmental, college, and national awards, and securing appointments as an associate dean and director of a new research center. This period provided him with significant validation, visibility, and a strong sense of professional worth. The University of Delaware’s sociology department, where he thrived, largely adhered to the "publish or perish" ethos, prioritizing scholarly output and its recognition within the research community, with external funding being valued but secondary to publication impact.
A New Beginning, a Profound Challenge: The Arizona State University Transition
The pivotal shift in Dr. Ackerman’s professional narrative occurred in 2020 when he accepted a new leadership opportunity at Arizona State University (ASU). ASU, a significantly larger institution, prided itself on being a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, signaling a potentially different cultural landscape. Dr. Ackerman was appointed to direct the Center for Advancing Interprofessional Practice, Education, and Research, stepping into a role previously held by a highly respected leader. He arrived with the expectation of being a "big fish in a bigger pond," anticipating immediate recognition and impact.
The reality, however, starkly diverged from his expectations. Upon arrival, there was no welcoming committee, no designated office, and no nameplate to signify his position—a stark contrast to the reception he might have envisioned. Early administrative discussions at ASU were notably less focused on his past research or teaching philosophies, which had been his primary markers of distinction. Instead, the emphasis was heavily placed on his capacity to secure external grant funding from foundations and government agencies. His new colleagues frequently communicated in a lexicon of grant-based acronyms, a "language" with which Dr. Ackerman was largely unfamiliar, creating a significant communication barrier.
The challenges were compounded by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid shift to remote work and online learning eliminated the informal interactions—hallway conversations, open-door policies, spontaneous collaborations—that had been integral to his previous academic experience. This period of isolation intensified his feelings of alienation and disorientation as a scholar. Even after in-person classes resumed in the fall of 2021, the sense of distance persisted. Office hours remained empty, and efforts to forge connections with colleagues proved difficult, as many were grappling with their own adjustments to the post-pandemic educational environment. His proactive proposals for new classes and curricular programs often met unforeseen institutional barriers, further underscoring his disconnect from ASU’s established operational norms. A particularly telling moment came when an administrator inquired, "How do we get you on other people’s grants?"—a question he interpreted as a subtle critique of his research’s perceived standalone strength. He recognized that his colleagues in Edson College were attuned to these institutional values and proficient in this new "language," rendering him an outsider. Despite producing what he considered his best work in terms of publications and citations, he felt largely unseen and undervalued, a profound shift from his previous environment where he had felt deeply known and appreciated. This experience led him to humorously compare his situation to Ron Burgundy from Anchorman, feeling the urge to declare, "I’m kind of a big deal. People know me."
The Impact of Feeling Unseen and the Internal Shift
For professionals accustomed to high levels of engagement and visibility, the sudden experience of feeling unseen or unacknowledged can be profoundly debilitating. Research in organizational psychology highlights that a pervasive fear of not belonging in the workplace can erode self-worth, leading to significant self-doubt and career anxiety. Dr. Ackerman’s experience mirrored this, propelling him into a personal and professional tailspin. His proposals were stalled or rejected, and his research center, despite meeting its objectives and gaining international recognition, was ultimately shuttered during a college restructuring.
Initially, Dr. Ackerman attributed his feelings of disconnection and frustration to ASU’s leadership structure, perceived dysfunctional culture, and what he saw as inauthentic institutional values. He viewed many colleagues as cold, unfriendly, or overly conformist. This cascade of "unacknowledgments" fostered intense negativity and self-doubt, leading him to genuinely fear the end of his career. He pondered if he had been blackballed or why his contributions seemed to matter to no one.
However, a crucial turning point emerged from his own academic work. Having spent years researching empathy—the capacity to understand and share the feelings of another—and its cultivation among healthcare professionals, he had developed a program at the University of Delaware to foster empathy, collaboration, and shared respect among interprofessional students. While analyzing the outcomes of this program from his new vantage point at ASU, he realized that empathy, while vital, was insufficient. It helped students feel with others but did not inherently alter their self-perception or their view of others in a fundamental way. This realization led him to conclude that what was truly needed was humility—the capacity to recognize one’s own limits, accept fallibility, understand oneself as part of a larger team, and genuinely value diverse contributions. This insight not only reshaped his research trajectory but also began to profoundly transform his professional life.
Research as a Mirror: Embracing Personal Humility
Dr. Ackerman’s academic pursuit of humility initially followed a conventional scholarly path, involving historical analysis, identifying research gaps, and exploring its connections to uncertainty and the impostor phenomenon. He investigated how humility could enhance team-based care and developed a new framework for defining humility among healthcare professionals to promote collaboration and patient-centeredness. Yet, as his personal professional world continued to unravel amidst the challenges at ASU, his research began to serve an unexpected purpose: it became a mirror reflecting his own internal struggles.
Slowly, he started to perceive how his reactions to his new environment were intricately woven with pride and insecurity. The relentless need for external validation and recognition, he realized, was a form of arrogance. His ambition, he conceded, might have been less about selfless contribution and more about securing external affirmation. The initial selfless wonder and curiosity that had driven his scholarly inquiry had dimmed, leaving him to confront his identity when the spotlight he once sought had faded.
This profound introspection led Dr. Ackerman to a new understanding: humility was not merely an abstract concept to be studied in others, but a vital internal practice. By consciously decentering his ego, he discovered that he could cultivate and sustain curiosity for its own sake, rather than as a means to an end. The difficult lesson was clear: he needed to practice what he preached. This realization underscored the inherent challenge in cultivating humility, a process rarely straightforward.
To facilitate this personal and professional development, Dr. Ackerman developed "HIIT for Humility" in 2024. This online training package, designed for individuals and groups, draws inspiration from high-intensity interval training. It offers evidence-based strategies to build "habits of humility," emphasizing self-awareness and the acknowledgment of others. Much like physical exercise, the consistent application of these practices gradually alleviated his feelings of alienation and defensiveness. He found himself becoming more appreciative of his colleagues, less prone to judgment, and more adept at listening to diverse perspectives. This internal shift ultimately fostered a newfound sense of confidence and security. While still taking pride in his work, he began to understand that his contributions, while valuable, were part of a much larger tapestry. This allowed him to embrace previously unfamiliar tasks, such as diligently pursuing federal and foundation grants, and to genuinely appreciate the scientific contributions of his colleagues.
Broader Implications and the Recalibration of Purpose
Dr. Ackerman’s journey at Arizona State University serves as an unintentional yet powerful lesson in humility, particularly regarding the nuanced and often unspoken institutional priorities that define academic success. Navigating stalled proposals, shifting strategic focuses, and organizational restructurings compelled him to recalibrate his ego, expectations, and professional identity. The experience of not being perceived as a "big fish" and being expected to persevere without consistent external recognition forced him to understand his work within a broader systemic context, characterized by diverse values and inherent constraints. This transition to ASU necessitated a profound re-evaluation of his identity as a professor and a redefinition of his sense of purpose, originating from within.
His colleague’s poignant question to students—"Why are you here?"—became a personal mantra. Pondering the fundamental purpose of being a professor—the essence of writing papers, securing grants, and teaching courses—helped ground him during moments of feeling unseen, unheard, or unappreciated. This simple yet profound inquiry offers a valuable framework for anyone grappling with feelings of invisibility or undervalued contributions in their workplace.
Over time, Dr. Ackerman shed the need to be the preeminent figure in his field, moving beyond external measures of worth such as titles and awards. He now views his core responsibility as a scholar, teacher, and human being through the lens of sustained curiosity, deep listening, and actively creating space for the voices of others. Embracing humility and consistently engaging his "humility muscles" has solidified his understanding that his purpose lies in contributing to the creative energy of academia, diligently pursuing his work, and fostering intellectual curiosity in his students, peers, and himself.
This narrative, initially published by The Conversation, underscores a critical lesson for contemporary professionals across all sectors: in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly evolving world, genuine humility—defined not by self-abasement but by grounded self-awareness and an appreciation for collective contribution—is not merely a desirable trait, but an essential one for resilience, innovation, and sustained impact. It highlights how personal challenges can become catalysts for profound self-discovery and a deeper alignment with one’s core professional values.
