[donny2018]

A proper dictator will immediately remove all potential power from army generals, police chiefs, political party leaders and so on. He will not even remotely allow any potential challengers that are capable of consolidating enough resources to even think of causing any trouble.

On the other hand, he will allow his establishment to feed off the system, so they become dependent on him and remain interested in maintaining status quo and stay within the line. Of course, this is reinforced with brutal crackdowns on any form of dissent. He makes everyone worthless and replaceable, and makes it seem that it is very easy to lose everything if you show any disloyalty or try to push for your interests in a wrong way.

In the country where I'm from, military chief commanders were just some planted nobodies that were rotated every year or so. All political establishment was fully loyal and were too weak to even have fantasies on grabbing power.