Build Experience
First things first—you need credentials.
A dictator isn't just anybody. To rise to the top, you need to have some degree in politics or perhaps a few military tools under your belt—preferably both. Look at history's most notorious dictators: Hitler got his first taste of warfare in the trenches of World War I, Saddam Hussein was recruited to assassinate political leaders as a young man, and even Kim Il-sung was setting up underground Marxist sabotage groups in his twenties.
Hands-on experience with weaponry isn't just about brute strength; it's going to be invaluable when it's time to rise up. But more than that, learning how to control the masses will ensure you don't fall at the first hurdle.
Coming from an aristocracy might help you leapfrog into powerful positions through nepotism, but be warned—it also puts you on the waiting list for the guillotine if a revolution springs up. Instead, aim to be the underdog who started from nothing. Humans naturally gravitate toward that story.
Think about your own life—do you warm to those in authority with no first-hand experience, or do you give props to the guy who came from nothing but still did his homework? You prefer the latter, right? So, if you want to change the world, hit those books and visit the firing range.
Learn patience.