Kraven The Hunter is the latest film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. It may also be the last. Sony’s Spider-Man Universe films have been received poorly by many in the movie-going world.
The list of films in this series includes:
- Venom
- Venom: Let There Be Carnage
- Morbius
- Madame Web
- Venom: The Last Dance
- Kraven The Hunter
Sony believed focusing on Spider-Man villains and a low-level Spider-Man ally would do great business. I think it could have if Sony hadn’t decided to change the backstories of many of these characters. The latest was the extreme change in Kraven’s (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) origins and personality.
That said, I actually enjoyed Kraven The Hunter’s story. The action scenes were well done, and Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe (as Nikolai Kravinoff) were both fantastic. I even found myself liking Dmitri Kravinoff (Fred Hechinger). His turn from weak brother to villain was great, though I doubt we’ll ever see his turn play out, as it looks like the Sony Spider-Man Universe is now finished.
If you’ve seen Kraven The Hunter, you know the film is about more than Kraven hunting the bad guys. It’s a story of change, growth, and discovery. All of which are part of our leadership journies.
We will examine the leadership lessons in Kraven The Hunter. Won’t you join me?
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Kraven The Hunter
1. Great leaders find common ground:
Sergei Kravinoff (the actual name of Kraven The Hunter) found himself in a Russian prison. He was on a mission to seek out Semyon Chorney (Yuri Kolokolnikov). Semyon is the leader of the Kirov Gang. He was a brutal man, now locked up.
Before Kraven got to Semyon, he was placed in prison. There, he discovered he had a cellmate. Upon meeting him, the cellmate told him he hates roommates. Kraven’s response: “So do I. We have something in common.”
Their exchange was humorous. But it still proves a great point.
Even when you’re in a situation you dislike, maybe with people you dislike, you can find common ground. Common ground allows you to work together, even if it is for a limited period of time.
Find common ground with the people you work with and lead. The more you can relate to one another, the easier your job will be.
2. Know your competition:
Semyon calls Kraven into his office. He knows his men in the prison want to kill him, but he still asks Kraven if he is that man. Semyon then asks Kraven if he knows who he is.
Kraven does. He’s studied this man. He knows what he has done. And he doesn’t hesitate to list off his atrocities.
Kraven knew his competition.
Do you know what your competition looks like? Do you know what they’re doing?
Great leaders study their competition. They know what they’re going up against.
Study and get to know your competition. The more you know about them, the more you know how to respond to the changing business landscape.
3. Sometimes, leaders have to run into the storm:
After killing Semyon, Kraven flees the prison. He evades the guards, who, who want to prevent his escape. However, he soon discovers a larger danger.
There’s a massive snowstorm sweeping his way. The storm looks like a wall of white.
The storm wall doesn’t stop Kraven. He runs headfirst into the storm. Once he breaks through the initial wall, we see that he’s safe. He’s run into a plane that had been waiting for him.
Leading will have its challenges. You will feel pressured, in danger, and stressed, and you will want to escape these pressures.
You can only escape these pressures by running headfirst into the storm. You’re going to have to face the challenges.
Stop running away from your duties as a leader. Instead, go into the storm and come out the other side.
4. Bahari Gama (Damola Adelaja):
Why do you hunt, Nikoli?
Nikoli was at an African hunting camp. One of the others at the camp was a man named Bahari Gama.
Bahari talks about hunting. Then he asks Nikoli, Dmitiri and Kraven’s father, why he hunts.
Imagine Bahari was standing in front of you. Instead of asking you why you hunt, Bahari asks you why you lead. What would your answer be?
Every leader needs to know the why behind his choice to lead. When you know your why, everything else becomes easier. Not easy.
If you know your why, your why can help you through those challenging times you want to give up.
5. Kraven:
A true legend would fight fair.
Kraven and Dmitri are talking. Dmitri tells Kraven he wants their dad to kill the lion they’ve come to hunt. This way, their dad can become the legend he craves and the family can leave.
Dmitri’s desire wasn’t so much for his dad’s fame. Instead, he desired to leave and return to the cushy life he knew.
Kraven knew something Dmitri didn’t. Even if Nikoli killed the lion, it wouldn’t mean much. Nikoli had others around him to help; he had weapons to help him take down the lion. The match-up wasn’t fair.
Nikoli would only become a legend in his eyes if his dad fought fairly.
In business and leadership, there’s a mindset that you have to win at any cost. You use any means necessary to make the sale, close the deal, and keep the company alive.
I disagree.
You can’t be a real winner in business if you don’t lead fairly. You have to make a conscious decision that you’re going to do what’s right, even if it is not easy. Even if it costs you dearly.
True leaders don’t win at any cost. They realize they have to do what’s right moreso than win.
6. Kraven:
I don’t undertand.
Doctor:
Neither do I.
A young Kraven thanks the doctor who saved his life. The doctor responds that she didn’t save his life.
Her answer confused Kraven. Who saved him, then? What happened? He didn’t understand.
When he let the doctor know he didn’t understand what she meant, the doctor responded that she didn’t know what saved his life.
Sometimes, we’re like the doctor. We don’t understand what happened and why something was effective.
That’s the way leadership goes.
I’ve found that even when you follow someone who breathes, eats, and sleeps leadership, their methods won’t always work. Sometimes, the things they say won’t work, will.
Leadership is a strange thing. While we should strive to understand why something worked or didn’t work, we must also be okay with the mystery of leadership. Things that should work, don’t. Things that shouldn’t work, do.
It’s discovering what does and doesn’t work for you that matters.
7. One person can stop a massive movement:
Kraven returned to Russia to visit a place that was special to his mother. He’s standing in an open field when a herd of buffalo comes charging at him. He stands there, ready to face his fate.
Then, a lone buffalo stops in front of him. The other buffalo go around the one standing its ground.
Kraven is safe. The single buffalo saved his life. He made a difference.
We often think one person, one leader cannot make a difference. Deep down, we know that’s hogwash.
Why? Because we can all recall at least one person who made a lasting impact on our lives.
Do you know what? You can be that person for someone else. You can be the person who stops or changes or starts a massive movement.
Don’t discount your impact.
8. Calypso Ezili (Ariana DeBose):
This system is broken.
Calypso is a young woman who saved Kraven’s life when the lion attacked him as a boy. He didn’t know it at the time but Calypso had given him a potion that her grandmother made. The concoction gave him life again.
Later in the film, Calypso is speaking at a friend’s funeral. She’d been killed for standing up to Semyon. We discover this is why Kraven had targeted him.
More importantly, Calypso recognizes the system is broken. Semyon wasn’t going to get what he deserved through the justice system. He would have eventually gotten out and done it again.
When you hear the system is broken, what do you think? You may think politics. I believe the leadership system is broken.
How leadership is taught, people are chosen to rise through the ranks, and how decisions are made are broken.
It’s up to us to change the system. We can show there’s a better path to leadership. We can show that there’s hope for a better future.
Recognize the system is broken. Then work toward fixing it.
9. Kraven:
I use whatever tool that is available.
When Calypso discovers Kraven has killed Semyon, she asks him, “With a lion’s tooth?” She found it shocking that he didn’t shoot him, strangle him, or some other form to take him out. Instead, he killed Semyon with a tooth.
Kraven’s answer? He used what was available. That’s how he works. That’s how he gets things done.
How do you lead? Do you need specific tools? Are you waiting for the right equipment? What’s stopping you?
Leaders look for what’s available and find a way to use it to accomplish their mission. What’s available to you?
10. You’re valuable just as you are:
Aleksei Sytsevich, a.k.a. the Rhino (Alessandro Nivola) struggled with his self-worth. He believed he wouldn’t have anyone’s respect until he was strong. And, by golly, he was going to be strong.
He went to Doctor Miles Warren (in the Spider-Man comics, Warren is known as the supervillain the Jackal). Warren injected with a serum that changed his skin into rhino-like toughness.
The man became a beast. His transformation came with a price, though. He felt extreme pain whenever he stopped a drug treatment that would prevent the transformation.
The Rhino didn’t realize his value. He only saw a way to become respected and highly feared.
How badly do you want to be respected? Are you willing to go to extremes to gain respect?
I want to remind you of your value. You’re valuable just the way you are. You don’t need a fancy degree, esteemed title, or a seat at the table to be valued.
Learn to respect yourself. When you do, others will respect you for the right reason.
11. Calypso:
Calypso saw what Kraven’s hunt for justice was costing him. The biggest cost so far had been Dmitri being kidnapped.
Kraven hadn’t considered the cost of what tracking down evil men would be. In the end, it even cost him his brother.
When you lead, when you make decisions, you must consider the cost. There’s a cost that comes with leading.
You may lose time with your loved ones, good coworkers, and even your reputation.
What’s the cost you’re willing to pay? Consider whether or not it’s all worth it.
