It’s nice to be needed. Like a lot of people, I take great pride in knowing that I’m an integral part of a team, and I’ve worked hard to establish myself as a crucial asset to my employers–past and present. I have a feeling a lot of you approach your careers this way, too.

The only problem with this is, when it comes time to leave your job— whether it’s to pursue a new opportunity, to raise a family, or just to take a break –you end up feeling incredibly guilty. What will your company do without you?

I really loved my first full-time job. The work was interesting, I felt challenged, and my coworkers were great. I was a pretty strong performer, too. My sales numbers were good, I was (almost) always happy to work late, and I was even trusted to manage my boss’s accounts during her maternity leave. That was a huge deal to my 22-year-old self. They needed me!

Knowing that I had become an essential member of the team felt great; all my hard work had paid off. But, as time went on, I started thinking about my next move. Of course, guilt quickly crept in. Each step of my job search felt like I was secretly betraying my employer–I felt awful. When I finally received an offer for a job I was really excited about, I found myself seriously debating whether or not I could actually accept. I genuinely believed things would completely fall apart if I left.

I didn’t know what to do. So, I turned to a trusted and seasoned source for advice: my dad. With over 30 years of corporate experience under his belt, I knew he would understand my conundrum. But when I shared the details of my situation with him, he just shrugged and said, “You can leave. They’ll be fine without you.”

I think my jaw hit the floor.

Then he shared this analogy with me: