there are many ways to approach this. firstly a man is socially & biologically wired to strive for dominance in one form or another. physical strength has played a large role in this and continues to do so, but to an increasingly lesser extent. it's also rather straightforward. so i'd like to focus on personality.
what makes a true man?
i like to simplify, and will start by doing exactly that. in my head a man is kind, confident, empathetic and compassionate. these are qualities that follow from a healthy ego, which is in turn a result of the successful fulfillment of needs.
i hope this is a good baseline. it's also a neutral-positive one, which i find fitting to open with. undoubtedly there are many types of men, and i'd like to hear from you which ones
ripped off the idea from Johannes Maikowski's thread on men's routine