Dictatorship is commonly known in government. Rest assured, it exists everywhere - in the family, in the civil service (recent events in the UK are good examples), in schools (bullies are forms of dictators), in hospitals, and in NGOs/civil societies, to name but a few.

In politics, dictatorship is formed often in either of two ways - by a military coup d'etat or by a self-coup in which elected leaders make their rule permanent by modifying or suspending constitutions or simply interpreting the rules and regulations to their advantage.

However, I would argue that we (society) make dictators. Let's take an organization that is run by a board of governors with a board chair and all other designations. Every time, the board chair submits motions (mostly good ones for the organization), members accept without opposition or at least modifications. When this is repeated oftentimes, the board chair develops a mindset that whatever she/he says is accepted - dictatorship is a mindset!

Second, certain members of the board are frequently absent from meetings, and board meetings are often held with the minimum quorum achievable. This leads to important decisions being made by a small group without the benefits of opinions from the regular absentees. This creates division in the board and small group dominance arises.

The way to stop dictatorship or reduce its impact is by active participation and analysis of the signs and symptoms (risks) of dictatorship. If we (society) are careless (let alone submissive), individuals and small groups will use that to their advantage and become dictators. I rest my case!