When did power over a group become a goal of an individual? In biology, it's status and rank that matters, not power to tell people to do things, or power over deciding whether someone should be allowed to live or not. Leaders in nature don't have the same control over the subjects as human leaders have. So when did humans start getting hungry for power in this way? Hungry for depriving people of their free will and self-control by being able to control their actions, through power?
Memes evolve just like Genes, what works and survives gets repeated.

This particular one could be asked why did cells move from single to multiple?

Same reasons ultimately why societies survive... they could out compete individuals. People in societies are normally far better off then individuals.

As for nature... Social insects have phenomenal ;) control over their subjects. Animals will fight and kill each other for leadership in a group. Male lions will kill each other for control of the females, if a new male gets control over a group he will kill all the cubs to bring the females into heat.

Ants will raid termite mounds to feast on the termites, leaving plenty of them alive to repopulate for the next harvest.

Animals go to war all the time.