Your business is as smart as the sum of your team's education. Thought leaders can drive an organization to new heights, but creating a culture where learning permeates every level of the company is what results in a more measured, lasting impact.

To achieve such an outcome, the sum of a team's education cannot be static. College offers a good foundation, but doing a deep dive into a specific subject at the start of a career doesn't cut it anymore—especially in today's fast-paced world. Today, everyone is expected to continually augment their skills and stay up to date on the latest technology, news and developments.

It should come as no surprise, then, that insurance organizations are rapidly shifting from prioritizing "knowledge workers" to seeking out "learning workers." That constant hunger for new information and education requires intrinsic motivation—a skillset that is not focused solely on coverages, contracts or sales. Instead, employees need to learn how to learn.

Carol Dweck investigated this lifelong pursuit of knowledge in her landmark research and developed what she calls the fixed and growth mindsets. People who have a fixed mindset believe that intelligence is static—something you're born with. They spend more time confirming and justifying their existing intelligence and less time learning new things.

Those with a growth mindset, however, believe they can shape and develop intelligence throughout their lives. They're quicker to embrace new ideas, find inspiration in others and seek out new avenues of learning.

Dweck's research took the business world by storm, and many employers began hiring employees who exhibited qualities of a growth mindset. However, Dweck has since stated that  some of her findings have been misinterpreted; she's quick to point out that there's more to a growth mindset than just effort, and no individual can have a growth mindset about everything all the time.

Organizations need more than an impassioned mission statement to develop a growth mindset. Employees should feel supported and rewarded in their pursuit of new knowledge and ideas—which is easier said than done. Lifelong learning is often touted as an ideal we should all work toward, but it can be ambiguous. In reality, especially on the job, lifelong learning should be more specific than just "know more stuff."

Here are a few tangible ideas for fostering the growth mindset at your agency:

1) Set the expectation early. You can start emphasizing lifelong learning even before a job offer. Prioritize resumes from applicants who seek new knowledge and experiences. During interviews, questions like "What's the last book you read?" or "What are you working on learning right now?" can identify a growth mindset and help you bring in the right people.

When new employees start, build learning into their daily work by including it in your formalized onboarding process. Keep that momentum going after they settle in by integrating learning into performance reviews. During reviews, press employees for specific examples of how they stay current on their industry.

2) Establish specific goals and timelines. For example, instead of simply setting out to read more, commit to reading one book a month or subscribe to a daily insurance industry e-newsletter. And actually read it!

These goals should be structured and have clear objectives. Review and adjust them as part of official performance reviews to make it clear that they're not just nice goals to strive for, but rather something your organization considers essential.

3) Prioritize hybrid skills. Jobs requiring new skills emerge every day, and the insurance world is no exception. Case in point: Across all industries, the demand for data analytics jobs is up a staggering 372% since 2011. Not every risk manager or underwriter needs to master data analytics, but the broader your team's knowledge base, the more successful your organization will be.

Employees are concerned about shifting skills and expectations, too. Giving them a clear path to on-the-job learning can help alleviate these fears and keep your top people focused on growing within your organization. Prioritizing lifelong learning as an organization is the best way to show that your business values the sum of a team's education.

Ann E. Myhr is senior director of knowledge resources at The Institutes.