Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, who passed away only a few weeks ago, answers that Yakov wasn't legally required to do so. However had he left immediately, Leah would have felt that he valued his beloved Rachel as being worth seven years work, but not her.
Even though the additional seven years of work came at the expense of Yakov's ability to escape the evil influences of Lavan and study Torah in his home of Canaan, it was worth seven years of spiritual sacrifice to avoid hurting the feelings of his wife Leah.
Mishnah Avos 3:17 teaches that without proper character traits and sensitivity to others, there is no value and can be no success in Torah.
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