I aw this quote by Jack Welch: "The hero is the one with ideas."

And it made me start thinking about what makes a hero. Is the hero always the main character?  Can a villain be a hero? (I once read that, from the villain's point of view, he or she is the hero of the story. ) 

Hero doesn't have to necessarily be male or female, in this case.

Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?