A frequent mistake that leaders, and managers of all kinds (including affiliate program managers), commit is failing to admit mistakes. It is a very destructive path to follow. The main reason being that it compromises your integrity, which is, actually, the most important characteristic for any leader.
Addressing this problem in January 2010 at Affiliate Summit West (Las Vegas, NV), I emphasized:
…it really boils down to the problem of integrity and honesty with your affiliates. Very frequently merchants think that admitting a mistake means admitting that they are a failure. It’s quite the contrary: if you don’t admit a mistake, and don’t address it, that‘s when you are a failure.
Decades of leadership research have proven that the most admired characteristic of any leader is honesty.
Here’s the part of my above-quoted session where I addressed this topic:
Years ago when I first heard the phrase “it’s ain’t weak to be meek” it struck me how true these words are… Very similarly, it takes a lot of courage and strength to stick to the path of honesty and integrity. The weak ones, actually, follow an alternative route.