Kipling is said to have written the poem 'If' with Dr Leander Starr Jameson in mind, who led about five-hundred of his countrymen in a failed raid against the Boers, in southern Africa. The 'Jameson Raid' was later considered a major factor in starting the Boer War (1899-1902).
And on a different subject, here's a remarkable demonstration of the power of your own brain, which makes unusual use of Rudyard Kipling's inspirational poem 'If'.