They remind us all that we are not infallible, and to get back to the basics. Without these, we can get lulled into major problems and never know it. Really, in today's business world, it's hard not to have these rather frequently. The problem is that some now ignore them and just go on assuming they will go away. You begin to wonder if you could even make it without some, and rationalize to a fault their value.
New ideas flounder and become extinct.
Honestly, you set the standard. If you slack off, they do. They look to you for leadership and a sense of direction. Customers and vendors are constantly evaluating your company. Its like every day has be the first day of a new business, and you constantly have to go back to the earlier days of the life cycle of your business to regain whatever it was that got you there.