Dictators are insecure

Larry David, who I’m sure is not hurting for money, drives a Toyota Prius.  Most skinny girls don’t actually wear skin-tight clothing.  Contrary to the popular idiom, when you got it, you don’t feel the need to flaunt it.  It is therefore also true that managers who are confident about their authority do not feel the need to viciously and continuously remind you of it.  Dictators are just insecure about their leadership and their command of your respect.  Therefore, another way to cool a dictator is to stroke his or her ego (regardless of how distasteful that may seem to you).  If you complement your dictator’s handling of the last meeting (sincerely) or support his proposal, he will cool down.  He will assume you already appreciate him and his awesomeness and he no longer needs to put the fear of G-d in you to achieve those results.

Dictators don’t trust people

If you look closely, you will probably notice that your dictator is not exactly a people person.  The command and control mechanism comes about because of a dictator’s innate distrust of other people.  The lack of trust can stem from a variety of reasons, which a psychologist would better be able to identify, but all are equally damaging to his leadership style.  The way to deal with this is to purposely work on gaining the dictator’s trust.  Go above and beyond her requirements for projects, anticipate her needs, and support her when you notice her getting ragged on.  Becoming an ally and a friend of the dictator may seem repulsive and fake, but it’s important to train yourself to believe—truly believe—that each person is interesting and worth knowing, including your dictator, if you are to ever succeed in the business world.  I say that because fakeness is the worst tactic.  You can’t butter up to a dictator—she’s way too smart for that and will see right through you.  Find commonalities to start relating to her instead.