In a polite society, it’s rarely easy for people to say no to things when they’ve been raised to work hard and be considerate in helping others. However, in the workplace, it’s more than acceptable to say no when necessary, even if it feels uncomfortable to do so at first. When you’re in a leadership position, it becomes even more critical to be comfortable with the word, as it could make or break your success in the future. Here are some perfect times to speak the word aloud in order to keep making healthy progress with both your life and your career.

When You Have to Sacrifice Something Important 

Whether it’s missing an event like a family wedding or your child’s graduation, or you’re simply in dire need of a vacation that you’re being asked to postpone, sacrificing important moments in your life is a perfect time to say no. While your job is important, you have to maintain a work-life balance in order to not burnout on the job. Furthermore, such big moments only happen once or twice in a lifetime, and you’ll likely end up regretting all the memorable things you miss just to appease someone at work for a short period of time.

When You Already Have Too Much on Your Plate

Leadership roles often come with a lot of responsibilities, and you might even feel the need to take on extra work from time to time. However, if you’re repeatedly being asked to complete additional tasks and you’re already overloaded with important projects, it’s best to simply say no and finish your current obligations first. Taking on extra work may make you look good to a superior in the office on the surface. But, if you then fail to meet project deadlines you already committed to finishing as a result, it will only shed a negative light on your work ethic that sometimes can’t be repaired.

When You’d Have to Commit to Something Unethical

Everyone has their limits when it comes to agreeing to certain requests, especially if the request involves anything potentially unethical or — even worse — possibly illegal. There’s never a good enough reason to go against your own moral code or to play games with the law for your job. In these situations, saying no to any work request that asks you to set aside your personal beliefs merely for professional gain should not only be acceptable but it should also be expected.

Learning to say no comfortably takes practice. However, fulfilling your new leadership role requires you to make the tough calls when necessary, and these examples prove there are definitely moments when saying no is the right call.