Cell phones are one of the world's greatest inventions. As convenient as they may be, they are still new to society and proper etiquette is still being established. Here are 10 rules leaders can follow when using their cell phone:

 

1. Avoid taking calls when you are already engaged in a face-to-face conversation. You may be tempted to answer but if you resist the urge, the person that you are with will feel respected and appreciated. If you must take a call, ask for permission first.

 

2. Avoid texting when you are engaged in a face-to-face conversation. Texting others makes present company feel unappreciated and unimportant. Be careful not to offend people by texting in the presence of others.

 

3. Lower your voice when taking calls in public. Applying the 10-foot rule is a safe measure. Keep a distance of at least 10 feet from the nearest person when talking on a cell phone. 

 

4. Avoid personal topics when others can hear you. 

 

5. Put your phone's ringer on silent mode when you are in public places.

 

6. Avoid lighting up your screen when you are in dark theaters.

 

7. Hang up and drive. At any given time, about 3% of people driving are simultaneously talking on their phones.

 

8. Acknowledge the delay. All phone calls involve latency, which means there is a delay between when you speak and the other person hears it.

 

9. Do not blame others for dropped calls. Accepting responsibility for a bad connection (even though it is no one's fault) demonstrates humility and avoids any offense.

 

10. Don't be "that person." No one likes a fact-checker. Avoid looking things up during a conversation.