Companies that got caught by surprise didn't survive. Sometimes you stumble upon information. That's why it helps to keep your eyes open. Let me give a personal example. The saying that those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it applies directly to business.
Great managers immerse themselves in the history of their organization and their industry.
They learn from the mistakes and the successes and, in turn, apply these to their decision making. I work in the adventure travel industry. In fact, I'm the founder of The North Face Company. A few years ago I was out hiking and noticed for the first time that about half my fellow hikers were women. This started me thinking.