People consider nice individuals easier to work with, and teachers or bosses may value and even reward compliance.

Because that is what they want. Obedience and compliance.
They want to control you. Especially the bosses.

The balance is indeed important.

Being nice is a good thing, but always being obedient is not necessarily.

For example if your child is good at football, but bad at math, what would you do?

Probably the school would suggest (or even force) that your son should try to learn math more often and more harder with a good math teacher.

But maybe a good football coach would be better for him.

Which one does he enjoy (more)?

This also matters a lot.

Generally, if a child is visibly good at something, then he/she should focus on that.

Especially if he/she enjoy it.

At least this is what I think.