I just realized that dictatorship is in a way the same thing. Look at Singapore. It is super successful because of "right" dictatorship. Libya was somewhat a good example with their insane water infrastructure and social programs.
The thing is, you don't really need to have dictatorship to get those things.
You could just, I don't know, fund infrastructure and social programs without developing cults of personality around leaders or letting them torture opponents to death.