Not the most brilliant example ever, but fits the trope nevertheless. Talking to a friend of mine, many years ago, as he was joking that he when he was raising an army to conquer the world, he'd offer me a post of my choosing, to which I immediately replied that I'd then like to be a Colonel, to his surprise (expecting a higher rank). Why? Simple: you're powerful enough to command more soldiers than you'd ever need, but at the same time you're not visible enough to become a real target to the rebels that will inevitably rise up against. Power and safety, without becoming as assassination target, what more could a man want? Colonels really are badass.