Find a need and fill it
This is a pretty simple idea, and that is one reason I like it.

And it helps me think about social entrepreneurship in a way that does not make me feel like I should be working in the College of Business Administration. (Nothing against my many fantastic colleagues who do work in the CBA--just not my area.)

This way of thinking allows me to focus on the importance of crafting solutions to political, social, economic, cultural problems. Find an actual need, then fill it--solve it or reduce the harm associated with that problem.

Further, while not required, it is likely that many efforts driven by this compass will focus on solving problems for others, or (as another definition I like puts it): empowering ourselves by solving problems for others.

Today, 'find a need and fill it' feels like a way to encapsulate what some might see the characteristic that makes America unique. For me, I wonder about the uniqueness argument, but certainly can embrace that this idea is part of what makes America both possible and desirable.