Dizzy,
You could not be more wrong. You should be bloody ashamed of yourself for pumping up that hoary old chestnut "be a good little boy and play my game or you will never work in this industry again...."
Because it is just not true.
Sure, the industry works on reputation. We have heard a thousand times how it is not what you know, but who you know.
Most of the times that you use a 'contact' or a mate to give you the good oil on how to get a job, or to recommend you to the boss, you are talking pilot-to-pilot.
Your worth as an individual will be judged by your peers. The employer will mainly be concerned whether you meet minimum requirements.
EVERY aviation job I have had from C210 to jet, I was interviewed by pilots, recommended by pilots, assessed by pilots. The decision had to be run past the accountants and managers, but that was after another pilot decided that I was worth a go.
Some of the pilots that are recognised by most of their peers as "a solid guy" have at times been at absolute loggerheads with their employers. These 'first call' guys are highly regarded for their technical skill and knowledge, their high personal standards, and their refusal to be pushed around by mercurial management whims.
I'd say that you are on the completely wrong track, Dizzy. A pilot that wants a good reputation has to know when it is time to say No. A small setback today could be repaid many times over by those that remembered the time you showed a little character.