((When a direct supervisor might get upset that you might be leaving…))
There are many candidates who do not feel they can inform their direct supervisor that they are applying to business school, because their direct supervisor might get upset that they will be losing a team member, or because that direct supervisor may even become envious. In either case, candidates are concerned that the direct supervisor will not be supportive of their application and will evaluate them poorly in any recommendation.
The good news is that admissions committees are used to receiving applications from candidates who are facing this challenge. Therefore, if you do not get a recommendation from a direct supervisor, you can still fare fine in the admissions process. You can often work around the fact that you do not have a recommendation from a direct supervisor. One key is to get at least one recommendation from another professional in your company who is superior to you and interacts with you often and can therefore attest credibly to your performance. If you can get two recommendations from such persons, all the better!