When Google announced that CEO Eric Schmidt was being replaced by one of its co-founders, Larry Page, who had himself been replaced by the Schmidt ten years ago, it demonstrated a clear understanding of its corporate culture, the behaviors needed to keep the business going, and a willingness to make the necessary changes. Whatever one thinks of Google, it’s to be admired for doing the hard thing.

Making those decisions is difficult. It requires keen attention. It demands that owners and managers constantly troll the organization for what’s really going on, not just what they want to see. It takes courage to say, “This worked for a while, but it’s not working anymore. Let’s change it up.”

What are you and your team doing to stay in tune with the changes, subtle and otherwise, occurring in your business and with your staff? MBWA (Management by Walking Around), was the ‘in thing’ years ago, and it still has a lot of value. Do you know who the influencers are in your organization, the keepers of the grapevine, and do you plug into them? Has a new business venture changed the talents needed for success? Do your current employees have the competencies to move with the times? Have you revisited the core purpose of your organization and made sure you’re still on track? How is the decision-making structure holding up—or is it holding up your business, as Google decided. How often do you and your key executives meet to discuss these and other questions?

By being curious and courageous, you can be ahead of the curve.