Review of "Communicate Like a Champion" by Eli Champion

Score: 87/100 (8.7 out of 10)

Communicate Like a Champion is the kind of slim, straight-to-the-point guide you can finish in a sitting and use the same day. It opens with a deceptively simple thesis: most misfires happen because the intent behind a message is fuzzy. The book immediately grounds that idea in a scenario every worker knows too well, the “quick meeting” with no context, then shows how both sides can fix it. Managers should state a purpose before the meeting and close with explicit next steps. Employees should ask one clarifying question, restate their understanding, and follow up in writing if needed. It is common-sense advice, yes, but presented with a crispness and dual-perspective coaching that makes it stick.

The heart of the book is a seven-part model of communication: Clarity, Confidence, Respect, Listening, Tone, Empathy, and Follow-up. The author does not bury you in jargon. Instead, each component gets quick A/B examples that show how tiny edits change outcomes. “Let’s catch up” becomes a clear, agenda-driven invitation that tells people exactly how to prepare. Hedgy “I think… I’m not sure…” becomes decisive “X changed; A is on track; let’s assess B before committing.” “That won’t work” softens to “I see your point—may I offer another perspective?” These upgrades are small, but the cumulative effect on trust and momentum is big.

What pushes this from “nice list” to “usable playbook” is the habit engine behind it. The 28-Day Communication Challenge turns the seven components into daily reps. Week 1 gets you leading with intent and summarizing conversations in one sentence. Week 2 trains your ear and your tone. Week 3 layers empathy and healthier conflict. Week 4 adds tools and institutionalizes follow-up. If you simply did these prompts for a month, your inbox would get clearer, your meetings would end cleaner, and your team would notice.

The “tools” chapter is practical. It acknowledges that Grammarly, Copilot, and ChatGPT can help with tone and clarity, then does the rare, responsible thing: reminds you to review suggestions so meaning is not lost. It pairs the software with analog discipline like journaling and structured peer feedback sessions. There is even a worked example of the kind of feedback an AI assistant might give you after you upload the guide and describe a tricky communication, from “three things done well” to “questions to deepen reflection.” That blend of tech and craft is exactly where most professionals live.

Now, we use the word "book" with some apprehension because one of this work's greatest weaknesses is how sparse it is. This book is effectively only about 30 pages long with 30 (or so) additional pages being mostly blank and dedicated to notes. This is more like a pamphlet or a Power Point presentation than a book. It's unfortunate because we started reading this with a ton of excitement and very high expectations. Who doesn't want to learn to "Communicate Like a Champion" from a guy literally named Champion? Well, it wasn't quite as substantive and impactful as we had hoped. This book would've really benefitted from case studies and examples from real life.

We do like that this book provides some hypothetical scenarios and different things to say, allowing the reader to choose between what they would consider ideal or not-so-ideal communication. Our favorite was the "I need this by 3 AM" example. It really gave us perspective.

This book is best students, emerging leaders, and busy pros who want immediate, measurable gains in clarity and tone. Also great for managers who need a shared language for meetings and follow-ups. Less ideal for comms veterans seeking dense research or niche, industry-specific playbooks.

Check it out on Amazon!